4.06.2026
On 1st June 2026, NASA announced that it had awarded a modification contract related to the Reduced Gravity Flight program, which includes lunar gravity tests. Denmar Technical Services of Nevada has been tapped to provide aircraft modifications, maintenance, and testing services for NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, and the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The arrangement itself is standard – a firm-fixed-price contract with a time-and-material component for any extra work beyond the original scope. The contract has a maximum value of $8.4m and goes until 1st February 2027.
A Different Vomit Comet
Under the arrangements, Denmar Technical Services will modify a Boeing 737-700 to carry out lunar-gravity parabolic flights. The goal is to test space equipment in a reduced-gravity setting, which helps NASA validate equipment before actual lunar missions. Once the work is finished, NASA Armstrong will own the modified aircraft and will manage flight operations from the Johnson Space Center.
The planned use of the aircraft centers on testing astronaut lunar suits and the related crew systems needed to support Artemis mission objectives. This testing will occur in a flight environment that mirrors reduced gravity, providing practical validation before any lunar mission execution. Unlike the aircraft currently being used for parabolic flights that induce a few moments of weightlessness, colloquially known as “vomit comets”, these flights will be focused on reaching a gravitational pull similar or equal to that of the Moon. NASA did not make any claims as to whether these new parabolic arcs will also induce biological reactions during the flight.
Quelle: Orbital Today