Thursday, July 28 - Two flights in one day + a dinner that couldn't be beat

We arrive at Ellington Airfield at 7:30 am and find out that there will be two flights today - the regularly scheduled 9:30 am flight and a 2:30 pm flight.  Tropical storm "Don" will be in the area on Friday and no one wants to be flying an airplane that dives up and dow 10,000 feet in the vicinity of it.  That means that any problems with the three experiments will have to be fixed in a short amount of time. The teams all meet, work out an experimental plan that takes this into consideration, and get to work.

Those of us flying in the afternoon head onto the plane to get everything ready.  The team from Princeton loads their crystal solution slowly and carefully in order to not prematurely trigger the chemical reaction that they will study.  The Trenton team loads their water tank with ball bearings that they will shoot into the tank during the flight.  The Auburn team sets up their computer and equipment for their equilibrium experiments.  We have 45 minutes to get everything done and we need every moment.  Before we know it, NASA calls out "time" and we get off the plane so it can go through a final check-out and the flyers can board.

Trenton, Auburn, and Princeton, along with Aliya, ready to board
the morning flight.

All systems are go, the flyers have taken their anti-nausea meds and line up to board the plane.  As the plane takes off into clear and calm skies I realize that for the first time all week, I have nothing to do.  It's a strange feeling, actually.

90 minutes later, the plane lands.  All three experiments worked well and everyone had a spectacular time!  Teams get ready for the afternoon flight and I put on my flight suit.  The afternoon flight has two special guests, a staff member from the White House's Office of Science, Technology, and Policy (OSTP), and Leland Melvin, a former astronaut and the head of NASA's education programs.  We take our meds, go through the pre-flight briefings, and are ready to go.

My afternoon flight as seen from the Johnson Space Center (photo courtesy of  Up and At 'Em Cohen)

I cut my anti-nausea dose by 50% because I was too tired for too long yesterday and I'm sure the lower dose will keep me feeling good during the flight.  On board, I sat next to a journalist from the technology blog "Boing Boing" who is writing a story on our Trenton team. One we began the parabolas, I helped out where I could and spent the rest of the time floating.  It was wonderful to see how much control Leland had in zero-g.  All his time in space meant that he could move around the cabin with ease and confidence. Everyone got really good data that they will analyze when they get back.  Here's a video from my phone.  Starting in 1.8g, I point the phone around the plane and wait until we reach 0-g before I let go, directing it towards one of the teachers on the other side of the plane.  The phone spins around so it is difficult to tell but it glides over to her and she passes it back.  We do our 32 parabolas and head back to the airfield.  Everything went smoothly.

In the evening, I had dinner with the VIPs and the education leadership team from Johnson Space Center at an Italian restaurant overlooking the water.  It was a wonderful day.