NASA uses commercial microgravity services

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. space agency, for the first time, has used microgravity research flights aboard commercially owned aircraft to test hardware and technologies.

The flights, on an airplane operated by the Zero Gravity Corp., simulated the weightless conditions of space. In addition to numerous National Aeronautics and Space Administration experiments, five companies flew experiments aboard the reduced-gravity aircraft flights that originated last week from Ellington Field in Houston.

The flights were the first in NASA's Facilitated Access to the Space Environment for Technology Development and Training program, called FAST.

Officials said the technological experiments were designed to improve air and space vehicle capabilities and support the design of systems for the exploration of the moon.

NASA said its contract with the Zero Gravity Corp. of Las Vegas -- managed by NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland -- is part of an effort to expand the agency's use of commercial services. The Johnson Space Center in Houston provided technical support to the participating experimenters.

NASA said it will issue a call this month for new proposals for 2009 FAST program flights.