News
Updates and experiments from the world of microgravity…
QBT at Pratica di Mare
Speech on reduced-gravity flights
In February, the QBT team visited the Pratica di Mare Air Base, home to the Italian Air Force’s Experimental Flight Center (Reparto Sperimentale Volo) and the Aerospace Engineering Group. The meeting provided an exciting opportunity to visit the Flight Line and gain deeper insights into the activities performed by experimental engineers in aerospace observation and defense. It was also an important occasion to share expertise in reduced gravity and promote QBT’s work in parabolic flights.
ASCLEPIOS III Mission
Scientific experiments in flight
At the end of May, the parabolic flight mission for ASCLEPIOS III took place at the Valbrembo (BG) airport. We successfully conducted 3 scientific experiments across 4 flights, involving 9 analog astronauts.
Asclepios IV
G0Flight Mission: Reduced-Gravity Experiments in Valbrembo
The “ASCLEPIOS IV” flight mission took place at the end of May at the Valbrembo (BG) airport. Commander Vittorio Braghiroli was at the controls of the Cessna 182, with ground support provided by the QBT team.
Students from the Asclepios project, now in its fourth edition, were given the opportunity to conduct self-proposed experiments during the 4 parabolas scheduled for each of the three flights. These maneuvers allow for reduced gravity to be reached for approximately 7/8 seconds. Two experiments proposed by researchers from the University of Naples – Federico II and one from the University of Rome, Tor Vergata, were also carried out on board.
