USRA CEP Student Flies in Zero Gravity
Career Exploration Program high school student Ryan Cappel has a new favorite memory for his senior yearbook: floating in zero gravity on board NASA’s Zero-G Aircraft. Generally reserved for elite astronauts in space, the experience of weightlessness is one that Ryan, at age 18, will never forget.
Through USRA’s Career Exploration Program (CEP), Ryan is gaining valuable work experience at NASA Johnson Space Center while he completes his senior year of high school. In addition to working onsite through CEP, Ryan is part of NASA’s “HUNCH” Program (High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware), where he and his classmates design and develop equipment that will be used by astronauts in training for missions to the International Space Station (ISS).
This year Ryan’s team had the unique opportunity to test their prototype hardware, the “crumb catcher,” in zero-gravity on board NASA’s Zero-G Aircraft. Fitted with a vacuum for suction and a fan to replicate the air resistance found in space, the crumb catcher is designed to remove stray food particles and crumbs that float freely on board the ISS after astronaut meal time. After performing experiments using a variety of test foods, Ryan’s team discovered that the crumb catcher is not ready to make its debut on the ISS just yet.
Though the experiment was not a success, and Ryan found out why the Zero-G is referred to as the “Vomit Comet,” he says he would go again in a heartbeat. “It was a blast,” said Ryan as he shared his experience with his fellow CEP students.
Through the cooperation of programs such as CEP and HUNCH, students are exposed to a variety of educational and career opportunities at NASA that prepare them for futures in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.
Ryan says that working at NASA through CEP has broadened his horizons and he hopes to continue working onsite after he graduates. Until then, Ryan is glad to tell everyone about his gravity-defying experience and he looks forward to more exciting opportunities at NASA.