NASAexplores 9-12 Article: Two-Ton Hockey Pucks (PDF)
NASAexplores 9-12 Article: Two-Ton Hockey Pucks (PDF)
NASAexplores 9-12 Article: Two-Ton Hockey Pucks (PDF)
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The floor is constructed of steel plates lined up alongside one another. More steel plates<br />
are combined to form pads. These pads are attached to the bottom of the objects that<br />
astronauts practice moving. Compressed air is then released into a tube that runs along<br />
the side and bottom of the plate. When running, the air-fed plates hover just above the<br />
floor’s surface so that it only requires a nudge for large objects to effortlessly glide across<br />
the surface.<br />
What kind of maneuvers do astronauts practice on the<br />
air-bearing floor? They mainly handle large orbital<br />
replacement units—some as large as a car—and<br />
learn how to carefully guide them in the right<br />
direction. They also practice using tools the way<br />
they’d be used in space. Without gravity to keep the<br />
astronaut in place, a simple twist of a screwdriver can<br />
send him or her spinning. Astronauts can compensate<br />
for the torque created by drills, wrenches, and pliers<br />
by anchoring themselves or bracing their bodies.<br />
Engineers also use the air-bearing floor as they’re<br />
developing products and parts that will travel into<br />
space, Smith says. Something as simple as a door hinge can be tested to see how it will<br />
work without the friction found on Earth. By moving the hinge on the giant precision airbearing<br />
floor, it’s easy to see if modifications need to be made because of microgravity.<br />
“Some people call this a zero-gravity room, but that’s not accurate,” says Smith.<br />
“There’s plenty of gravity in here. This floor simulates the effects of reduced gravity on<br />
one plane only, not throughout the entire room. It’s pretty amazing, though, to see how<br />
easy it is to move something weighing 2 tons with just your pinkie.”<br />
Related <strong>NASAexplores</strong> articles:<br />
“Just In Case”—Emergency landing sites for Space Shuttle launches<br />
http://www.nasaexplores.com/show2-articlea.php?id-02-010<br />
“Drop Everything!”—Drop towers<br />
http://www.nasaexplores.com/show2_articlea.php?id=02-006<br />
“Microgravity: Always a Bad Hair Day”—Effects of microgravity<br />
http://www.nasaexplores.com/show2_articlea.php?id=01-044<br />
“The Weightless Wonder”—The KC-135 airplane<br />
http://www.nasaexplores.com/show2_articlea.php?id=03-008<br />
“Astronauts Take a Dive”—The neutral buoyancy laboratory<br />
http://www.nasaexplores.com/show2_articlea.php?id=02-066<br />
www.<strong>NASAexplores</strong>.com
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