SURF 96
Students Understanding Reduced-Gravity Flight


The 1996 Texas S.U.R.F. Summer Academy

In July 1996, four teams of Texas university students will participate in the flight phase of a program called the Students Understanding Reduced-Gravity Flight (SURF) Summer Academy, which is supported by NASA-funded grants from the Texas Space Grant Consortium (TSGC) and NASA Headquarters. The four selected teams have developed and will fly experiments aboard NASA 931, Johnson Space Center's microgravity research aircraft that flies a roller-coaster-like flight profile over the Gulf of Mexico. During each two- to three-hour flight, the aircraft will maneuver through steep climbs and descents. At the top of each ascent, the passengers inside experience approximately 25 seconds of weightlessness; at the bottom, approximately one-to-two minutes of two-G conditions.

The selected projects are:

A Gravity Simulation Experiment - Lamar University

Pressure Dependence Of Electric Arc Length In Microgravity - Rice University A Visualization Study of Flow Boiling in Reduced Gravity - Texas A&M University Slurry Viscosity Experiment (SVE) - University of Houston In addition to performing the experiments, each team developed a program for sharing its research results with teachers, students, and the general public. After analyzing their data, participants prepared educational or informational materials, and submitted final reports to receive academic credit toward their degrees.


For any questions contact Burke Fort, Texas SURF Summer Academy Director.


1995 SURF Academy

1996 SURF Academy Competition Guidelines

1997 NASA Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Competition Guidelines

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Tuesday, 27-Jan-2004 19:58:05 CST
CSR/TSGC Team Web