Category Archives: Barcelona Zero-Gravity Aerobatics Challenge

1. A 2-3 pages proposal that includes:

• Scientific or technical (if it is a demonstration) objectives
• Experimental expected results both on earth and in flight.
• Why ZeroG is needed?
• A description of the experiment
• How data will be processed and analysed
• A brief summary of why the experiment is relevant

2. A brief résumé of each member on the team; diverse, international,

intercultural teams are highly encouraged

3. An endorsing letter from a professor or tutor from an academic institution.

You can  also contact the contest address

barcelona.zerog@gmail.com for any questions. 

A confirmation reply will be sent.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Will I be reimbursed for the construction of my experiment?

A: Participants are responsible for funding the construction and

design of their experiments.

Q: What is the allowed geometry/size of the experiment?

A: Maximum size of the experiment is 80x50x50 cm. There should be

no moving parts outside. The maximum weight is 20kg. There should be

no hazardous materials, and if liquids are present, the equipment

must be completely watertight.

Q: What are the interfaces to attach it to the zero-g airplane?

A: Experiments must be designed to be ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT 

or WEARABLE, as part of the payload specialist’s clothing

and will not be allowed to freely float into the cockpit.

They should be electrically autonomous.

Q: What is the exact duration?

A: The duration of free-fall is up to 20 parabolas of

up to 8,5 seconds each, for every experiment.

Q: What is the g-profile during this duration?

A: The maximum g load is 3.5 g on pull-in and pull-out manoeuvres.

Real zero-g gravity between pull-in and pull-out.

Q: What kind of power and data acquisition units are available on board?

A: The experiment should not need any external components or electric plugs.

Q: Will there be travel and lodging provided?

A: Please note that lodging and travelling will be not sponsored.

Participants are responsible for lodging and travel to Spain,

and are encouraged to find sponsors for their experience.

Q: Are there any restrictions for who may apply?

A: Undergraduate, Master and PhD students from all over the

world of any disciplines are welcome, between 18-35 years of age.

Q: Who will be flying the aircraft?

A: The flight will be operated by Aeroclub Barcelona-Sabadell,

with an expert in zero-g parabolas aerobatic licensed pilot-in-command

and a licensed pilot, payload specialist for the airplane.

Due to current safety restrictions, students will stay on ground for pre-briefings

and  later analysis of the experiment.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

Selection of the winning experiment will be independently performed

by  leading experts from ESA (European Space Agency) Academy.

Winning students will be encouraged to submit their results

to relevant symposiums and journals of the field.

Results of this selection procedure will be final.

Please note: In this edition students will NOT be flying inside the aircraft.

Their expriment will be flown by certified pilot(s) from Aeroclub Barcelona-Sabadell.

Legal disclaimer and other legal issues

UPC, Aeroclub Barcelona-Sabadell, SGAC and any person taking part

in the organization of this competition are not legally

responsible for the activities involved with the contest,

nor are they responsible for damages to the experiments

or persons on board or to third parties.

HOW CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION? WHICH ARE THE EXPERIMENTS

THAT WERE FLOWN BEFORE IN THIS CONTEST?

Please find it in the following papers:

https://futur.upc.edu/18816481 

https://futur.upc.edu/14916823

and watch videos with media coverage of previous campaigns:

(please note that currently students are no longer allowed

to fly with the experiment in the aerobatic plane

due to updated safety restrictions)

BARCELONA ZEROG CHALLENGE 2014 (video: TV3, in catalan)

SGAC (Space Generation Advisory Council to the United Nations) and the

students’ association EUROAVIA are contributing partners.

UPDATE: ESA Education is also taking part in the Review process

of the submitted Experiments.

For more information on ESA Education activities please

visit its website:  http://www.esa.int/Education

Competition overview
The competition challenges young students’

teams of 2-3 people (maximum)

between the ages of 18-35

in the space sector to submit

proposals for

experiments to be conducted in a zero-G environment. Undergraduate,

Master and PhD students from any part of the world are encouraged to apply.

The top team with the best proposal will actually get to fly in zero-G to test

their experiments.

Flights will be

conducted at the Sabadell Airport (30 minutes drive from

Barcelona, Spain) and media will be present to cover the event.

Diverse,  international and intercultural teams are most welcome.

Find more information here.

Deadlines and timeline

WHAT SHOULD YOU SUBMIT FIRST?

EXPERIMENT MANIFESTO

1. A 5-10 page proposal that includes:

• Scientific or technical (if it is a demonstration) objectives
• Experimental expected results both on earth and in flight.
• Why ZeroG is needed?
• A description of the experiment
• How data will be processed and analysed
• A brief summary of why the experiment is relevant

2. A brief résumé of each member on the team; diverse, international,

intercultural teams are highly encouraged

3. An endorsing letter from a professor or tutor from an academic institution.

Submit it electronically in a zip file to the coordinator’s address

antoni.perez-poch at upc.edu  . A confirmation reply will be sent.

PRE-SELECTED TEAMS THEN WILL BE THEN ASKED TO FILL

IN A DETAILED EXPERIMENT FORM FOR A FINAL SELECTION.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Will I be reimbursed for the construction of my experiment?

A: Participants are responsible for funding the construction and

design of their experiments.

Q: What is the allowed geometry/size of the experiment?

A: Maximum size of the experiment is 30x20x20 cm. There should be

no moving parts outside. The maximum weight is 10kg. There should be

no hazardous materials, and if liquids are present, the equipment

must be completely watertight.

Q: What are the interfaces to attach it to the zero-g airplane?

A: Experiments must be designed to be WEARABLE, as part of the

payload specialist’s clothing and will not be allowed to freely float

into the cockpit. They should be electrically autonomous.

Q: What is the exact duration?

A: The duration of free-fall is up to 10 parabolas of

up to 10 seconds each, for every flight participant.

Q: What is the g-profile during this duration?

A: The maximum g load is 3.5 g on pull-in and pull-out manoeuvres.

Real zero-g gravity between pull-in and pull-out.

Q: What kind of power and data acquisition units are available on board?

A: The experiment should not need any external components or electric plugs.

Q: Will there be travel and lodging provided?

A: Please note that lodging and travelling will be not sponsored.

Participants are responsible for lodging and travel to Spain,

and are encouraged to find sponsors for their experience.

Q: Are there any restrictions for who may apply?

A: Undergraduate, Master and PhD students from all over the

world are welcome, between 18-35 years of age. Team members

may be eligible to fly the experiment provided they have a currently

valid JAR/FAA Class II Medical Certificate. Final decision on whether

participants can accompany their experiments will be in hands of the pilot-in-command of the aerobatic plane.

Q: Who will be flying the aircraft?

A: The flight will be operated by Aeroclub Barcelona-Sabadell,

with an expert in zero-g parabolas aerobatic licensed pilot-in-command

and a payload specialist that will be on board of the aerobatic plane.

There is the possibility for the students to become the payload

specialist if they are interested. Medical and legal restrictions apply.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

Selection of the winning experiment will be objectively performed

by ELGRA members, leading experts in Low-Gravity research.

The European Low-Gravity Research Association (www.elgra.org)

is a leading research society in Europe which particularly

promotes the involvement of youngsters in space research.

Winning students will be encouraged to submit their results

to the ELGRA Symposium to take place in a city of Europe in 2015.

Results of this selection procedure will be final.

Aeronautical Medical Class II Certification required for flight

Please note that winning participants must obtain medical

documents (JAR, FAA Aeronautical Medical Class II Certificate or

any equivalent,  within the student’s country of origin) before flight,

that certify that they have no medical condition that impairs them

for flight. Medical certificates for flight crews are provided by

authorised medical examiners in every country where fight crew

regulations apply. Flight Certificates are only required if the

student wishes to fly the experiment. A medical check-out is

again required the weekend just before flight, by our own

Medical personnel. A certified Flight Surgeon from

SEMA (Spanish Society of Aeronautical Medicine) will supervise

the operations on-site. If the student does not pass the medical examination,

the winner team is still eligible for flying the experiment

(it will be flown by another qualified payload specialist from the organizing partners).

Legal disclaimer and other legal issues

Aeroclub Barcelona-Sabadell,

SGAC, ELGRA, EUROAVIA or any other person taking part

in the organization of this competition are not legally

responsible for the activities involved with the contest,

nor are they responsible for damages to the experiments

or persons on board or to third parties.

A limited-terms civil insurance from

Aeroclub Barcelona-Sabadell, expert medical advice and a

mandatory pre-flight briefing will be  provided to all flight participants.