Flights On G-Force One Research "Vestibular Disorientation"

Ever get dizzy, disoriented, or nauseated on a roller coaster? It's a feeling similar to space sickness, and understanding how it works could aid the development of countermeasures for one of the lesser understood problems associated with human spaceflight.

Dr. Jon French, a professor of Human Factors at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, believes the "vestibular disorientation" experienced by some astronauts can result in acute fatigue, a condition known as Sopite Syndrome.

He will explore this relationship with the help of over 50 volunteers who will experience microgravity this weekend aboard Zero Gravity Corporation's G-Force One, a specially modified aircraft that creates weightlessness by performing parabolic arcs.

"Vestibular disorientation is nothing new, and our bodies are known to acclimate themselves to disorienting situations," said French. "However, the disorientation appears to take its toll in other ways, like fatigue. This could be a significant issue in how successfully or completely astronauts can complete their missions, and for agencies like the FAA that may soon develop qualification guidelines for commercial spaceflight crews and passengers."

French's volunteers will wear wrist monitors to measure their sleep patterns for several days before and after their flights. They will also provide preflight and postflight saliva samples from which Dr. French will measure key hormones related to stress and fatigue.

The research is made possible through a 2007 agreement between Embry-Riddle and Zero Gravity Corp. aimed at using G-Force One as a microgravity science platform under a partnership with the state of Florida.French plans to enlist other volunteers on future flights to expand his research database.

The volunteers are from a larger group of space-industry employees who were selected to participate in a month-long Florida Aerospace Microgravity Training Program, an initiative designed to expose workers to weightless conditions such as those found in space.

The program, which includes three flights on June 14-15 from Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, FL is administered by Brevard Community College and the SpaceTEC National Center of Excellence for aerospace technical education, with sponsorship by the Brevard Workforce Development Board and Workforce Florida Inc.

FMI: www.embryriddle.edu