Next weightless steps

The successor to Novespace’s trusted rollercoaster aircraft is already being tested. A refitted Airbus A310 is being readied to take over as a flying microgravity laboratory. ESA’s next campaign, loaded with experiments, is planned for next spring in a joint campaign with the French and German space agencies.

“The challenge is to continue business as usual – we want to keep offering researchers the best working environment for their experiments with gravity,” concludes Vladimir.