Asian Try Zero-G 2025

Hayley Yousef (Quakers Hill High School, NSW)
Kaila Elias (Danebank Anglican School for Girls, NSW)

This experiment will allow us to see how water being contracted inside a slinky would react in microgravity. We will demonstrate this by using a slinky with zip ties attached on each end of the slinky allowing the person to expand the slinky without having to grab the slinky with your fingers. You will also have a small electrical clamp in the middle of the slinky attaching and holding it in place to a workstation. After this you will then slowly insert a small blob of water into the slinky allowing the water to stick to both itself and the slinky. Once the water blob has settled you will then allow the slinky to contract. You will then be able to observe how water being contracted in a slinky reacts in microgravity.

Celene Shimmen (Federation University, VIC)
Adam Shimmen (Federation University, VIC)

The Lower Extremity Motor Coordination Test (LEMOCOT) evaluates motor coordination, control, and speed by having participants move their big toes between two targets for 20 seconds. This experiment investigates how the brain’s sensorimotor system adapts to microgravity, addressing NASA’s Human Research Roadmap goals. Microgravity reduces muscle use, potentially affecting strength and coordination. Unlike parabolic flights, the ISS provides prolonged exposure, allowing for a deeper analysis of long-term effects. Building on past studies, this research will improve understanding of motor coordination in space, benefiting astronaut performance and rehabilitation for neurological patients on Earth. Insights from this study will also aid future Moon and Mars missions by helping develop strategies to maintain astronaut mobility and health.

Jacinda Cottee (Deakin University and Swinburne University, VIC)

This study examines how microgravity affects brain activity using the Emotiv EPOC+ EEG device on the ISS. Changes in brain function during spaceflight can impact astronaut cognitive performance, a concern outlined by NASA’s Human Research Program. By analyzing EEG signals across key frequency bands, researchers will assess neural adaptations in microgravity, focusing on power spectral density (PSD) variations during rest, cognitive tasks, and stress. Comparing astronaut and Earth-based data, the study expects reduced alpha and beta activity, indicating altered cerebral regulation. Findings will aid in developing neuro-tech solutions and nutritional interventions for astronaut health while also contributing to treatments for cognitive decline on Earth.

Kaila Elias (Danebank Anglican School for Girls, NSW)
Hayley Yousef (Quakers Hill High School, NSW)

This experiment will help us prove cohesion in microgravity. We will show this by using a tube, 2 sponge balls, tape, ruler, coloured water, syringe and clear water. By constructing a contraption that will help us to prove/work out if the liquid that we inject into the tube will either be attracted to the saturated sponge ball or the dry sponge ball.

Ryley Nolan (Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview, NSW)
Flynn Nolan (Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview, NSW)

This experiment revisits JAXA’s 2008 concept of launching paper airplanes to study slow Earth re-entry, which was canceled due to tracking challenges. With modern technology, such as RFIDs or AirTags, tracking their descent via phone networks or the internet is now feasible. While a tracking device would enhance the study, improved Earth-based tracking systems since 2008 make the experiment viable even without one. To increase the likelihood of successful recovery, multiple planes should be released at different intervals or in varied configurations, ensuring some reach land. This study could provide valuable insights into atmospheric re-entry dynamics and passive re-entry methods.

Ammar Ahmad Syed (The Scots School Albury, NSW)

This experiment aims to analyze the difference in centrifugal force on liquids in Earth’s gravity compared to microgravity on the ISS. On Earth, when a water-filled container is spun, centrifugal force pushes the water outward, forming a vortex, with gravity pulling the water down and surface tension keeping it together. In microgravity, without gravity’s interference, the water is expected to spread uniformly along the container walls, forming a tube-like shape instead of a vortex. The experiment also aims to observe inertia more purely, as water will continue to spin after the container stops due to its inertia, with eventual stopping caused by friction and air resistance on the ISS.