|
Houston, Texas
– Four Tufts engineering students took a break from their summer
vacations to conduct experiments in space – well, sort of. The students
were aboard NASA’s “reduced gravity” plane, otherwise known as the
“Vomit Comet,” which replicates the weightless environment of space.
CNN correspondent Michael McManus was along for the ride.
“The
experiment is complete and ready to fly,” he reports. “The students
from Tufts University have passed all the training and exams After
some tightening and safety checks, its time to experience zero Gs.”
The students conducted experiments on the way water particles stick
together while aboard the free-falling aircraft.
Their
work was captured by the CNN camera crew, and was rebroadcast as
part of the CNN Newsroom – an instructional program for educators
which airs Monday through Friday on CNN. For the students, the trip
into replicated space was more than just academic.
“Everything
is so hands-on, so deliberate and so tangible. It was very exciting,”
said Tufts student Rebecca MacMaster. Fellow student Scott Macnamara
agreed. “Its just an incredible experience that most people will
never have the chance to experience in their lives.”
The
CNN broadcast also featured a discussion of online auction house
E-Bay, the creation of Tufts grad Pierre Omidyar.
    

|