Memoranda for Performing Human Experiments using Aircraft Parabolic Flight

Abstract

Experience in human experiments with aircraft-parabolic flight is still being accumulated in Japan since the first flight of January 28, 1986; it was the day that the miserable mishap of Challenger occurred in the previous night. A short micro-G phase of 20 sec in parabolic flight is absolutely a limiting factor for human study; the researches made are mostly neuro-vestibular and space perception/orientation and less frequently cardiovascular and hormonal. In these studies, possible effects of preceding hyper-G must be a problem to be cautioned. A tight restraint of subject's body is sometimes necessary for neuro-vestibular study, and several types of electric noises during the flight can be troublesome in elec­trophysiology. Mental uneasiness and strain are common to subjects naive to parabolic flights, and motion sickness symptoms are not infrequent during the flight. Future activities using parabolic flights, in our country, may involve screening of space-crew selection and/or training for space-motion-sickness. Moreover, an experience of parabolic flight may be placed as a preflight routine in the upcoming space tourism.