Prof. Basu and Prof. Aloke Performs Parabolic Flight Experiments defying gravity!

For parabolic flight experiments, the experimental design and experimental plan has to be pre approved and certified by Novespace and CNes. The experimental idea is first shared in the form of a proposal and presented before a technical panel of CNES and Novespace atleast 1 year in advance of the proposed flight date. The proposal if successful now goes to lab based normal G experiments. The experiments once successful is now packaged in q compact and automated fashion in a box not weighing more than 10 kgs. The experimental setup, operating conditions, instruments used, power requirements, fluids used are all vetted by Novespace multiple times. Their objections and issues are mandatorily addressed by us during multiple iterations. Safety protocols are very rigid and all experiments conform to those standards. It takes 1 year of extensive preparation before putting an experiment on flight.

Regarding current experiment between France and India: With Profs David Brutin, Pierre, Remmy, Profs Saptarshi Basu and Aloke Kumar from IISc embarked on this effort of bio printing in space. Bio printing involves a bottom up approach whereby droplets of desired materials are deposited on substrates of various kinds in 3 D printing mode to build various parts like organs, space bricks, electronics, point of care diagnostic kits, surface patterning etc. All of these ensure sustainable habitat in space in the future. This experiment also allows insightful science into fundamental issues like wetting of droplets on substrates under zero gravity. So from technical and scientific point of view this experiment allows paradigm shift in human knowledge and technology advances. 

This campaign is lead by Prof David Brutin who was instrumental in getting us onboard and enabling us to actively participate and contribute in these parabolic campaigns (current and future). A big thanks to David.

We have more planned campaigns in october and march building on these experiments.