Parabolic maneuvers of the Swiss Air Force fighter jet F-5E as a research platform for cell culture experiments in microgravity

Studer, Marc; Bradacs, Gesine; Hilliger, Andre; Hürlimann, Eva; Engeli, Stephanie; Thiel, Cora S.; Zeitner, Peter; Denier, Beat; Binggeli, Markus; Syburra, Thomas; Egli, Marcel; Engelmann, Frank; Ullrich, Oliver

doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2010.11.005

Cited by 15 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…In addition to missions on the American Shuttle, the ISS, satellites and rockets, parabolic flights on airplanes provide valuable opportunities to study the behavior of organisms under microgravity (Volkmann et al 1991;Richter et al 2002d;Krause et al 2006;Bock et al 2007;Strauch et al 2010;Studer et al 2011;Grosse et al 2012). During the flight maneuver phases of 1 g are followed by an increase in acceleration to 1.8 g when the pilot pulls the airplane up.…”

Section: Gravireceptor In Euglena and Sensory Transduction Chainmentioning

confidence: 97%

Gravitaxis in Euglena

Häder

Hemmersbach

2017

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

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Motile microorganisms utilize a number of responses to external stimuli including light, temperature, chemicals as well as magnetic and electric fields. Gravity is a major clue to select a niche in their environment. Positive gravitaxis leads an organism down into the water column and negative gravitaxis brings it to the surface. In Euglena the precision of gravitaxis is regulated by an internal rhythm entrained by the daily light/dark cycle. This and the cooperation with phototaxis bring the cells into an optimal position in the water column. In the past a passive orientation based on a buoy mechanism has been proposed for Euglena gracilis, but now it has been proven that this flagellate possesses a physiological gravireceptor and an active orientation. Numerous experiments in space using satellites, rockets and shuttles as well as in parabolic flights have been conducted as well as in functional weightlessness (simulated microgravity) on ground-based facilities such as clinostats to characterize the gravitaxis of Euglena. The threshold for gravity perception was determined and physiological, biochemical and molecular components of the signal transduction chain have been identified. In contrast to higher plants, some algae and ciliates, Euglena does not possess sedimenting statoliths to detect the direction of the gravity vector of the Earth. The gravireceptors were found to be mechano-sensitive Ca-conducting ion channels thought to be located at the front end of the cell underneath the trailing flagellum. When activated by gravity-induced pressure due to sedimentation of the whole cell body, they allow a passive influx of calcium along a previously established ion gradient. The entering calcium binds to a specific calmodulin (CaM.2) which in turn activates an adenylyl cyclase producing cAMP from ATP. This cAMP is believed to activate a specific protein kinase A (PK.4), which is postulated to phosphorylate proteins inside the flagellum resulting in a bending and thus a course correction and reorientation with respect to the direction of the gravity vector. The elements of the signal transduction chain have been characterized by inhibitors and by RNAi to prove their involvement in gravitaxis.

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Section: Gravireceptor In Euglena and Sensory Transduction Chainmentioning

confidence: 97%

Gravitaxis in Euglena

Häder

Hemmersbach

2017

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology

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“…Small airplanes, jets and gliders used for parabolic flights are defined as those aircraft used for flying single passengers and small experiments. These airplanes include presently: • a jet fighter F-5E Tiger II aircraft of the Swiss Air Force used in Switzerland for automated science experiments [20];…”

Section: Type Of Aircraft Used For Parabolic Flightsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aircraft Parabolic Flights: A Gateway to Orbital Microgravity and Extra-Terrestrial Planetary Gravities

Pletser¹

2020

Preparation of Space Experiments

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Aircraft parabolic flights provide repetitively periods of reduced gravity whose duration depends on the target reduced gravity level and on the type of aircraft used. Typical durations for a large aircraft vary between approximately 20 s for a 0 g environment and 32 s for a Martian g level environment. Parabolic flights are used to perform short duration scientific investigations in weightlessness or at partial-g levels, to train astronauts, and to allow the general public to experience what astronauts' encounters in space during discovery flights. This chapter introduces the aircraft parabolic flights and presents their objectives, the parabolic flight manoeuvre and accelerations, the type of flights organised and a summary of the aircraft used throughout the world.

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“…The term parabolic flight describes a special flight manoeuvre where an aircraft follows a freefall ballistic Keplerian trajectory [51]. Thereby, the resultant of all forces acting on the occupants of the aircraft other than gravity is nulled.…”

Section: Parabolic Flightsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Approaches to Assess the Suitability of Zooplankton for Bioregenerative Life Support Systems

Knie¹,

Ribeiro²,

Fischer³

et al. 2018

Into Space - A Journey of How Humans Adapt and Live in Microgravity

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Future manned space exploration will send humans farther away from Earth than ever before (e.g., to Mars), leading to extended mission durations and thus to a higher demand for essentials such as food, water and oxygen. As resupplying these items from Earth is nearly impossible, aquatic bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS) appear to be a promising solution. Due to its central role in aquatic ecosystems, zooplankton could act as a key player in aquatic BLSS, linking oxygen liberating, autotrophic producers and higher trophic levels. However, prior to the utilization of BLSS in space, organisms proposed to inhabit these systems have to be studied thoroughly to evaluate any space-borne adverse traits, which may impede a proper function of the system. To investigate the impact of microgravity (μg), in particular, several platforms are available, providing μg periods ranging from seconds (Bremen drop tower and parabolic flights), to minutes (sounding rockets), up to even days and months (space flights and the International Space Station (ISS)). Furthermore, ground-based facilities, such as clinostats, enable the of candidate organisms to variable periods of simulated/functional μg. In this book chapter, research on zooplankton utilizing these methods is summarized.

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Parabolic maneuvers of the Swiss Air Force fighter jet F-5E as a research platform for cell culture experiments in microgravity

Cited by 15 publications

References 31 publications

Gravitaxis in Euglena

Gravitaxis in Euglena

Aircraft Parabolic Flights: A Gateway to Orbital Microgravity and Extra-Terrestrial Planetary Gravities

Approaches to Assess the Suitability of Zooplankton for Bioregenerative Life Support Systems

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