NASA's Parabolic Weightlessness Platform Retired

When NASA's microgravity experiment platform was introduced decades ago, it was very quickly dubbed the "vomit comet." That wasn't a happy pet name. Rather, it was an indication of the stomach-churning endemic to long parabolic flights.

Friday, NASA's KC-135, "Weightless Wonder," made its last parabolic flight, a nearly three-hour journey that included approximately 50 parabolas. The mission was aimed at testing tools used in zero-g. As it touched down at Ellington Field near Houston, a pair of airfield fire trucks, lights going, escorted the modified 707 to Hangar 880, then sprayed arcs of sparkling water as it was pulled inside.

This isn't the first vomit comet to be retired from service. NASA, in fact, had two. The first is now on permanent display at Ellington after it was used to film Tom Hanks' "Apollo 13." This second aircraft, put into service nine years ago, will be stripped of useful parts and stored at the boneyard in Arizona. It will be replaced next year by a C-9.

It's a source of pride for test director John Yaniac that his people have cleaned up at least 285 gallons of vomit over the years. "They are there to do the research in the microgravity environment, so, if it means cleaning up a little bit of vomit, then so be it, we do it."

FMI: www.nasa.gov