When you can't get to space, parabolic flights provide a helpful microgravity analogue. An Aerospace researcher got a chance to perform an experiment on one of these flights earlier this year, and now you can see what it's like aboard the plane and why it's important to space research.

"Participating in the Aurelia zero-gravity flight was an exhilarating and transformative experience," said Ashley Kowalski, who works at Aerospace as a Project Leader in the International Programs Division. "The microgravity environment of the flight replicates the experience of being in space, making it an ideal testbed for experiments that are crucial for the advancement of space exploration.”

Kowalski was actually doing this parabolic research flight of her own volition, through the support of the Space Generation Advisory Council, the Aurelia Institute’s Horizon Zero Gravity Flight Program, and the University of Oregon’s Department of Human Physiology.

Her experiment, which she describes in more detail in this video, has to do with measuring the effect of microgravity on human thermoregulation. Kowalski intends the research to demonstrate the feasibility of continuous, non-invasive body temperature monitoring during prolonged stays in space. 

"Monitoring circadian body temperature is essential for understanding circadian misalignment and its impact on optic disc edema during extended space missions," said Kowalski. "This knowledge will enable the development of strategies to mitigate the effects of headward fluid shift and circadian misalignment, leading to optimized astronaut health and performance during long-duration spaceflight."

The Aurelia Institute is a nonprofit spun out from MIT focused on in-space habitation and architecture, and its Horizon program flies early career innovators on parabolic flights to perform experiments in microgravity. So far, they've flown 192 people — nearly all experiencing microgravity for the first time — and 111 experiments, including 9 startups.