SaMBA is one of six student teams from all over Europe who recently performed - after more than a year of development – their Fly Your Thesis! 2017 experiments in the 'Zero-G' aircraft.
This experiment aimed to assess whether and how the alteration of the gravitational input modifies subjects' body awareness as shown by its effect on a well-known perceptual illusion of body ownership (the rubber hand illusion). The team expected that, when the strength of the gravitational input is reduced or augmented–such as in the 0g/-g and 2g conditions, respectively - both body and spatial awareness would result reduced or augmented, correspondingly.
Fly Your Thesis! is a recurring programme that ESA Education sponsors on a yearly basis. During the FYT! programme, students receive valuable feedback from ESA, Novespace, and European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA) experts; last but least, they get the extraordinary opportunity to execute their experiments in microgravity conditions on-board a state-of-the-art vehicle like the Novespace Zero-G aircraft, alongside professional researchers.