Microgravity is termed such because residual gravitational forces are extremely small.
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Official educational resources from the European Space Agency report that the term microgravity is used because small residual forces, such as air drag or solar pressure, prevent perfect weightlessness from being attained.
MicroGravity Explorer Kit (MGX): An Open-Source Platform for Accessible Space Science Experiments
The study of microgravity, a condition in which an object experiences near-zero weight, is a critical area of research with far-reaching implications for various scientific disciplines. Microgravity allows scientists to investigate fundamental physical phenomena influenced by Earth’s gravitational forces, opening up new possibilities in fields such as materials science, fluid dynamics, and biology. However, the complexity and cost of developing and conducting microgravity missions have historically limited the field to well-funded space agencies, universities with dedicated government funding, and large research institutions, creating a significant barrier to entry. This paper presents the MicroGravity Explorer Kit’s (MGX) design, a multifunctional platform for conducting microgravity experiments aboard suborbital rocket flights. The MGX aims to democratize access to microgravity research, making it accessible to high school students, undergraduates, and researchers.
ESA - Microgravity and ISS
Everything on Earth is subject to gravity (g). Most of the physical phenomena occurring on our planet are influenced by this force, as it pulls objects towards the centre of the Earth. Gravity determines nearly all physical, chemical and biological phenomena occurring on our planet. Our bodies have adapted to cope with gravity: the composition and shape of our skeleton, the position of our organs, etc.
The effect of gravity on an object can be completely cancelled out when it experiences “free fall”. This state is called weightlessness. The term “microgravity” refers to a state where weightlessness is not perfectly attained, due to small residual forces, such as air drag or solar pressure. Microgravity is expressed as a fraction of g, where g is the gravitational acceleration at Earth's surface, on average 9.81 m/s2.
Practically speaking, the best way of achieving microgravity is to place an object in orbit, such as the International Space Station. Objects in orbit are indeed theoretically subjected just to the gravitational force, thus experiencing free fall constantly.
The ISS offers a range of research facilities in a unique laboratory environment.
ESA - Microgravity and drop towers
Everything on Earth’s surface is subject to an average gravitational acceleration of 9.81 m/s2 (1 g). Gravity determines nearly all physical, chemical and biological phenomena occurring on our planet. It is fundamental to all natural processes around and within us, from the distribution of water and vegetation on our planet to the way that living organisms look and function. Furthermore, gravity is also a primary influence on all human technological developments.
Zero gravity (0 g) is a theoretical concept that cannot exist. This is because gravity is a fundamental force with infinite reach between bodies. As a consequence, gravitational accelerations, however small, always exist. Objects in free fall (only exposed to gravitational forces) experience weightlessness. However, in practice it is not easy to completely remove other non-gravitational forces such as air drag or solar pressure. Therefore, the term “microgravity” is used. Microgravity is expressed as a fraction of g (from 10-2 to 10-6 g).
Scientific research in microgravity allows us to ask some important questions. What happens to basic physical, chemical and biological processes in t
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