Guidance for the Micro Gravity Drop Experiment

Abstract

Micro-Gravity Laboratory of Japan (MGLAB) which was established as a semi public corporation invested by the Prefecture of Gifu, City of Toki and private corporations, provides the micro gravity drop experiments inexpensively and repeatedly for researchers. Many researchers have carried out about 4,000 drop experiments by using MGLAB's facility since 1995. MGLAB's facilities are composed of a vacuum tube and drop capsule. The vacuum tube has 100 m free drop zone and 50 m braking zone. The drop capsule has about 0.3 m3 payload space and can load up to 400 kg experiment equipments. This facility can provide a stable 4.5-second micro gravity duration, and accuracy of micro gravity is 10－5 G. People who utilize MGLAB's facilities need to adjust the configurations of experiment equipments to MGLAB's interface specifications, which are mechanical combinations, power supplies, I/O signals and so on. The following outlines the micro gravity drop experiment facility, interface between the facility and the experiment equipments and experiment methods.