Space Grant Consortium teaches physics of freefall to local students

Students, parents, and teachers at Farnsworth elementary school in St. Paul had the opportunity to hover above their gymnasium floor Monday night, all while learning some of the most fundamental laws of physics.

As part of its commitment to community outreach, representatives of the Minnesota Space Grant Consortium, which is housed in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, spoke to students and parents about the basics and tools of astronaut training. Students participated in a variety of activities from spraying fire extinguishers to grasping gyroscopes (spinning bicycle wheels) in order to control hovercraft speed, orientation, and otherwise simulate movement in the freefall experienced by astronauts while in orbit. More...