what is microgravity

11 months ago 32
Nature

Microgravity refers to the condition where gravity seems to be very small. In microgravity, people or objects appear to be weightless, and the effects of microgravity can be seen when astronauts and objects float in space. Microgravity can be experienced in other ways as well, such as when heavy objects move around easily, and astronauts can move equipment weighing hundreds of pounds with their fingertips. Microgravity is sometimes called “zero gravity,” but this is misleading because gravity still exists in space. NASA studies microgravity to learn what happens to people and equipment in space, as microgravity affects the human body in several ways. For example, muscles and bones can become weaker without gravity making them work as hard. In addition, many things seem to act differently in microgravity. Fire burns differently, and crystals grow better without gravity, making their shapes more perfect. NASA performs science experiments in microgravity to learn things that would be hard to learn on Earth. Microgravity can be found on Earth as well, and NASA uses airplanes to create microgravity for a short time by flying in up-and-down parabolas. The International Space Station (ISS) is an example of a place where microgravity can be experienced, and it offers a range of research facilities in a unique laboratory environment.