Zero Gravity Research Facility

The Zero Gravity Research Facility is a research installation at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland that houses a 470-foot steel vacuum chamber inside a shaft extending 510 feet below ground level. Equipment drops through this chamber to create conditions where objects become weightless.

This facility was built in 1966 to support NASA's Centaur rocket program and enable space mission research. It received National Historic Landmark status in 1985 for its significant role in advancing space exploration technology.

Scientists and engineers from international institutions gather at this facility to conduct experiments that advance understanding of spacecraft systems and space physics.

The facility creates about 5 seconds of weightlessness when objects fall through the chamber at high speed. You should know that most work here is conducted by researchers and engineers, and public access to active experiments is generally not available.

The landing system uses expanded polystyrene beads to slow falling equipment that experiences extreme forces on impact. This simple material has proven effective at protecting expensive experimental gear.