The present invention provides ground-based reduced gravity systems and methods of using the same to evaluate, synthesize, adapt, alter, process and produce diverse material systems, biological and non-biological, living and non-living, at close to true microgravity conditions as that which exist in space, and other reduced gravity conditions.

The present invention provides ground-based reduced gravity systems and methods of using the same to evaluate, synthesize, adapt, alter, process and produce diverse material systems, biological and non-biological, living and non-living, at close to true microgravity conditions as that which exist in space, and other reduced gravity conditions.

A gravity simulation system, including a computing system running a program thereon to receive input for a gravity environment and calculate the gravity environment based on a predetermined gravity algorithm, and a gravity simulation aircraft connected to the computing system to simulate the gravity environment received from the computing system based on at least one of a flight setting and a gravity setting.

A space flight simulator includes: a celestial-body-position output unit configured to output three-dimensional positions of extragalactic celestial bodies in space; an observation-position designation unit configured to allow an operator to designate a three-dimensional position and a posture of an observer in extragalactic space; a celestial-body-image arrangement unit configured to determine, based on the output from the celestial-body-position output unit, arrangement of an image of each extragalactic celestial body in a star field seen from the designated three-dimensional position and posture of the observer, and generate a star field image; a cosmic-expansion selection unit configured to allow the operator to perform selection as to whether a cosmic expansion effect is taken into account; a time designation unit configured to designate an observation time; and a cosmic-expansion correction unit configured to correct the three-dimensional position of each extragalactic celestial body based on the cosmic expansion effect and the designated observation time.

A space flight simulator includes: a celestial-body-position output unit configured to output three-dimensional positions of extragalactic celestial bodies in space; an observation-position designation unit configured to allow an operator to designate a three-dimensional position and a posture of an observer in extragalactic space; a celestial-body-image arrangement unit configured to determine, based on the output from the celestial-body-position output unit, arrangement of an image of each extragalactic celestial body in a star field seen from the designated three-dimensional position and posture of the observer, and generate a star field image; a cosmic-expansion selection unit configured to allow the operator to perform selection as to whether a cosmic expansion effect is taken into account; a time designation unit configured to designate an observation time; and a cosmic-expansion correction unit configured to correct the three-dimensional position of each extragalactic celestial body based on the cosmic expansion effect and the designated observation time.

Disclosed are a ground test system and a test method for a space-oriented multi-arm spacecraft system. A spacecraft system simulator floats on an air-floating platform through four porous air feet, a test truss is placed around the air-floating platform, a simulation auxiliary docking device, a simulation crawling truss and a satellite model are arranged in a middle of a ceiling of the test truss, and an assembly test area and a silent air compressor are arranged on sides of the test truss. The application is used to solve the problems that the prior art cannot simulate the movement and crawling of the multi-arm spacecraft system in space, assembly of large space structures, and the prior art cannot simulate the influence of assembling, catching and other actions on a base in a weightless environment.

Disclosed are a ground test system and a test method for a space-oriented multi-arm spacecraft system. A spacecraft system simulator floats on an air-floating platform through four porous air feet, a test truss is placed around the air-floating platform, a simulation auxiliary docking device, a simulation crawling truss and a satellite model are arranged in a middle of a ceiling of the test truss, and an assembly test area and a silent air compressor are arranged on sides of the test truss. The application is used to solve the problems that the prior art cannot simulate the movement and crawling of the multi-arm spacecraft system in space, assembly of large space structures, and the prior art cannot simulate the influence of assembling, catching and other actions on a base in a weightless environment.

A pilot assistance device includes information sources for determining automatically, in real time, a current vertical load factor of the aircraft, a computation unit for computing automatically, in real time, a flight director value using the current vertical load factor and a target vertical load factor representing a vertical load factor desired for the aircraft in the parabolic flight, the flight director value being computed in such a way as to be equal to a reference value when the current vertical load factor becomes equal to the target vertical load factor, and a display unit for presenting automatically, in real time, on a load factor scale, displayed on a screen of the cockpit of the aircraft, an indicator representative of the flight director value, computed by the computation unit, and an indicator indicating the reference value.

A pilot assistance device includes information sources for determining automatically, in real time, a current vertical load factor of the aircraft, a computation unit for computing automatically, in real time, a flight director value using the current vertical load factor and a target vertical load factor representing a vertical load factor desired for the aircraft in the parabolic flight, the flight director value being computed in such a way as to be equal to a reference value when the current vertical load factor becomes equal to the target vertical load factor, and a display unit for presenting automatically, in real time, on a load factor scale, displayed on a screen of the cockpit of the aircraft, an indicator representative of the flight director value, computed by the computation unit, and an indicator indicating the reference value.

An improved magnetic-levitation-based low-gravity simulator (MLS) is provided. The MLS comprises one or more gradient-field Maxwell coils that are provided within a superconducting magnet. When a current is provided to the one or more Maxwell coils and the superconducting magnet, a simulated low-gravity region is produced within the MLS. An object may be provided within this low-gravity region and may levitate within the region. The MLS may be used to test the impacts of low-gravity environments (for example, extraterrestrial environments) on different types of objects. Compared to an existing solenoid MLS, the improved MLS described herein includes a much larger volume low-gravity region at a lower energy expenditure.