weightlessness

[excellent]

How is the weightless atmosphere astronauts train in created?

[kags]

By flying a wide-bodied plane in a parabola (ie a steep curve) up to 15 times a flight, creating around 30 seconds of weightlessness each time. The actors in Apollo 13 did this to film the weightless scenes. They also train underwater to recreate partial weightlessness, such as on the moon.

[boobesque]

a huge underwater tank is often used as a simulator. this is not total weightlessness but produces a reduced weight effect. there is also a modified airplane called the vomit comet which produces temporary weightlessness as the plane dives. there is no way to create a weightless environment that im aware of as the weight is caused by grivity. to remove gravity you need to remove the massive body which is causing the gravitational effect ie. go into space.

[boobesque]

damn you kags. beat me to it

[sddsddean]

The aircraft they use for these training sessions has been christened "The Vomit Comet" by the astronauts; for obvious reasons!

[Loosehead]

Yes as above freefall in a plane is used.

In the Vomit comet gravity is not removed, the contents are falling at the same rate as the plane so the effect is weightlessness. The same would happen in a falling lift. Going into space does not remove gravity Boobesque, it is the state of perpetual freefall created by achieving orbit that gives the weightless effect. The gravity of the earth is still there it doesn't go away when you get out of the atmosphere.

[boobesque]

oh indeed but it is reduced enough to have such a small effect that it will be un noticeable. the further you get from a body the less effect you will feel. the inverse square law