A KC-135A, nicknamed the "vomit comet," will allow students to conduct experiments in micogravity conditions. The plane makes a parabolic maneuver, much like a roller coaster with steep climbs and descents, that simulates zero gravity conditions.

"Theyll learn more with this project than anything theyve seen in their entire lives," said Donn Sickorez, Johnson Space Centers university affairs officer. "Most of them never knew what it was like to write a proposal, make a budget, find funding, fly the experiment and then go out and talk about it."

This week, the first group of students is getting pre-flight training, visiting the space centers high altitude chamber, having their projects safety checked by NASA managers and then flying from nearby Ellington Field. A faculty adviser and NASA personnel will fly with the students.

Rather than conducting canned, classroom-type experiments, students are proposing solutions to problems such as preventing fuel from sloshing inside tanks in low gravity environments or developing a vibration-free camera mount for the International Space Station.

"Im always amazed what they come with," Sickorez said. "Theyre doing good work that needs to be done and has a purpose."

Competition is stiff for the program, which runs in the spring and summer. This month, 32 four-person teams from 25 universities will fly their experiments.

Once the flying phase of the experiments are complete, students write reports and then participate in an outreach program by talking at public schools near their university.

Abstracts of previous experiments or information on applying for next years program are available from the Texas Space Grant Consortium.