Parabola
A parabola is a plane curve formed by the locs of points equidistant from a fixed line and fixed point not on the line. This NASA diagram illustrates the parabola pilots of the KC-135 undertake to reach a reduced or zero gravity state.

The maneuver can be modified to provide any level of g-force less than one g. Some typical g-levels used on different tests and the corresponding time for each maneuver are as follows:

  • Negative-g (-0.1 g): Approx. 15 sec.
  • Zero-g: Approx. 25 sec.
  • Lunar-g (one-sixth g): Approx. 40 sec.
  • Martian-g (one-third g): Approx. 30 sec.

JSC Reduced Gravity Program

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