\n<\/p>\n
ESA astronaut\u00a0Rosemary Coogan, along with ESA project astronaut\u00a0S\u0142awosz Uzna\u0144ski\u00a0and member of the ESA astronaut reserve\u00a0John McFall, took to the skies as part of ESA\u2019s latest parabolic flight campaign.\u00a0The three members of ESA\u2019s newest astronaut class are experiencing weightlessness while gaining hands-on experience on Space Station research equipment, including the Biolab glovebox.<\/p>\n
Parabolic flights\u00a0create short bursts of microgravity by flying an aircraft in a curved trajectory called a parabola. During each of the 31 parabolas per flight, astronauts experience 22 seconds of weightlessness, simulating the conditions on the International Space Station.<\/p>\n
Rosemary, who was selected as an ESA astronaut candidate in November 2022, completed her training and earned\u00a0astronaut certification in April 2024, making her eligible for spaceflight assignments. This campaign marks an exciting opportunity for her to apply her skills in a space-like environment.<\/p>\n
During this campaign, members of the\u00a0ESA astronaut class of 2022\u00a0had the opportunity to work with two different ESA-developed gloveboxes:\u00a0the\u00a0Biolab\u00a0and\u00a0Microgravity Science Glovebox.\u00a0In use on the Space Station, these gloveboxes enable astronauts to safely handle materials within a controlled, sterile environment\u2014essential for conducting research in space.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Slawosz had the opportunity to test Poland\u2019s\u00a0Microgravity Actuated Capturing Kinetic Instrument (M.A.C.K.I.), an innovative tool that could help capture space debris.<\/p>\n
These activities during parabolic flight campaigns are helping ESA prepare astronauts for potential future space missions by familiarising them with the challenges of working in microgravity environments.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n