Unmanned aerial vehicle appliance in microgravity research

Abstract

Microgravity experiments are important in field of space development; they give the possibility to simulate near-space conditions to test new systems and subsystems for space or to perform researches in various fields. The existing platforms, to perform reduced gravity experiments, allow us to achieve the targets of the researches. Otherwise these platforms are either very expensive or very short duration. Another key issue is the repeatability of the experiment. Fast repeatability platform (ensuring fast turn-around time), can guarantee only few seconds of microgravity time. For these reason, there is the need of platforms for microgravity experiments that will cover the needs of all the experiments that cannot fit into required time, cost and repeatability of any other experiment methodology. The paper explains the mission plan and first scientific data of parabolic unmanned plane research.

Article in English.

Bepiločio orlaivio naudojimas mikrogravitaciniams tyrimams

Santrauka Šio darbo tikslas – analitiškai ir eksperimentiškai ištirti bepiločio orlaivio naudojimą nulinės (sumažintos) gravitacijos sąlygoms simuliuoti. Darbe aprašytos ir palygintos jau esamos mikrogravitacijos tyrimų platformos. Akivaizdu, kad reikalinga pigesnė ir prieinamesnė tyrimo platforma. Darbe analizuojama bepiločio orlaivio naudojimo galimybė, parinktas ir išbandytas parabolinio skrydžio algoritmas orlaivio tyrimų platformos koncepcijai, atlikti skrydžiai su simuliatoriumi ir realiu orlaiviu. Reikšminiai žodžiai: bepilotis orlaivis, mikrogravitacija, tyrimų platforma.