Welcome to
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Microgravity Research Team site

We have had our sixth proposal accepted for flight since 2002.

The proposal for the 2008-09 year:

Human Immune Complex Formation Rates in Microgravity

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The 2008-09 team

Tamra Henderson, Lindsay Willis, Lisa Walters, Lane Guyton, Clint Haywood, Branyun Bullard

(missing from photo: Michelle Godwin)

Current Team Members:

Branyun Bullard (2008-present)	Biology major	Flyer
Lane Guyton (2008-present)	Biology/Chemistry major	Flyer
Michelle Godwin (2008-present)	Biology major	Ground Crew
Clint Haywood (2007-present)	Education/History major	Ground Crew (previously flown)
Tamra Henderson (2008-present)	Nursing major	Alternate Flyer
Lisa Walters – Team Leader (2007-present)	Biology/Chemistry major	Flyer (previously flown)
Lindsay Willis (2008-present)	Biology/Chemistry major	Flyer
Dr. Timothy Ritter	tim.ritter@uncp.edu	UNCP Advisor, Physics Faculty
Dr. Siva Mandjiny	siva.mandjiny@uncp.edu	UNCP Advisor, Biochemistry Faculty

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The team reaches out to the local community by visiting with local school science classes

Clint Haywood discussing some of the Weightless Lumbees

outreach experiments NC Museum of Natural Science – Oct. 2008

Tamra Henderson and Lindsay Willis working with children as part of National Chemistry day at the

NC Museum of Natural Science – Oct. 2008

Branyun Bullard educates the crowd as part of National Chemistry day at the NC Museum of Natural Science – Oct. 2008

Branyun Bullard explaining the concept of density to some future Weightless Lumbees

NC Museum of Natural Science – Oct. 2008

Lane Guyton explains microgravity at the kids level while Tamra Henderson and Lindsay Willis

help the children make some of their own density demonstrators

NC Museum of Natural Science – Oct. 2008

UNCP Team Advisor, Dr. Tim Ritter,

presenting at Cherokee High School, Oct. 2007

Past Team Pictures (2005-2006)

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NASA’s Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program is designed to inspire students’ interest in science, engineering and technology. The program provides select undergraduate student teams, from around the country, the opportunity to successfully propose, design, fabricate, fly and evaluate a reduced gravity experiment of their choice on board the famous “Weightless Wonder” C‑9 aircraft. The overall experience includes scientific research, hands-on experimental design, test operations and educational/public outreach activities. The C-9 reduced gravity aircraft generally flies 30 parabolic maneuvers over the Gulf of Mexico. This parabolic pattern provides about 30 seconds of hypergravity (1.8g) as the plane climbs to the top of the parabola. Once the plane starts to “nose over” the top of the parabola to descend toward Earth, the plane experiences about 25 seconds of microgravity (0g).

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Pictures from previous years (2002-05)

Preparation for flight at UNCP (2003-2004)

Outreach from previous years (2002-2005)

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Video clip showing a candle flame in zero gravity.

Candle Flame in Zero-g

Movie clip showing the effects of gravity on mixing fluids. The clear fluid is water and the yellow fluid is cooking oil.
Fluid Mixing experiment

Movie clip from on board the C-9. This clip shows a steel ball falling (actually NOT falling!) through a viscous fluid in 0-g

Ball Drop 0-g

And the same experiment performed during the 2-g portion of the flight

Ball Drop 2-g

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The outreach presentation that we use when visiting schools and community groups (large file, please be patient).

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Check out our infomational brochure (requires acrobat reader).

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A complete overview of the Reduced Gravity Student Opportunities Program can be found at the following site:  RGSFOP

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The counties across North Carolina in which The Weightless Lumbees have presented their outreach message

The states across the U.S. in which The Weightless Lumbees have presented their outreach message

The countries in which The Weightless Lumbees have presented their outreach message

Please revisit our site for regular updates to include pictures from the latest trip to Houston, more outreach program details, and general program information.  Until then, if you require additional information, please feel free to contact one the students or the faculty advisor, Dr. Tim Ritter at tim.ritter@uncp.edu