NASA training from E. Drake Martinet on Vimeo.

Vomit Comet- some clips from in flight from E. Drake Martinet on Vimeo.

Link to Altitude training and NBL video

Once on board and airborne, I was tended by the sonographer, hooked into my ICG (impedance cardiogram) equipment. We headed skyward in the hot Houston morning as thunder heads kept at bay to the north. Our flight path would take us south over the Gulf, with a quick 180 degree turn just before Mexican airspace.

My heart (as reported by 2 different measurements) was already racing as we leveled off and pulled into our first 30-second, 10,000 ft climb. What catches the novice off guard about beginning a 10,000ft dive in a 200 foot long aircraft is how very fast you flip from 2 Gs (making my body over 300lbs) into a low or 0 Gravity state. it is literally as fast as closing a door.

Rereading the last paragraph, its obvious I’ve made the mistake of reducing this experience to amazing numbers. Conveying the feeling, especially the all consuming motion sickness that enveloped me a half hour in, is not at all easy. It is physically exhausting and totally unnatural. Maybe imagine running on a treadmill at high speed while its rotating horizontally, in the back of a windowless van driving at high speed through the Alps. Maybe thats close. When it was over I took an involuntary nap on a concrete floor in an airplane hangar.

The real good footage on board (including a little narrative of the flight) will be posted soon. I need to edit the video a little, but stay tuned (it features a section where the camera got away and floated freely in front of me… way cool). For now, here is the gallery of the whole trip. there are a bunch of new pictures at the bottom.

I’ll be writing a little story/recap about my NASA zero G experience probably from my flight out tomorrow. it feels about 500% more awesome than the pictures look. Also, look for some cool videos soon.

Ames Breifing Visitor Badge

My 8 year old self is shooting temporally displaced spit wads at the back of my 25 year old head today. Jealousy, thy name is NASA.

These are some iphone shots from this mornings briefing at NASA Ames. I guess this is post is the first of many about my experience as a test subject for NASA.

I’ve always wanted to go into space, and someday I may. But for now,  I’m livin’ the (penultimate) dream, and will get to experience extended Zero-G the good old old fashioned way- aboard a padding-clad commercial airliner come roller coaster.

Building 262- The Human Develoment Lab

The real point of the exercise is to help NASA develop a sophisticated computer model for a new type of remote cardiography. Armed with the ability to take EKG-like readings with almost no dedicated equipment or technician, scientists will be one step closer to modernizing the extended duration human space flight experience.

The short term gain will be aboard the ISS, but long term the advance will be invaluable to any manned Mars exploration.

Also, I’m certain to vomit, live via twitter if possible.