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Architecture students Zach Davis and Michael Rudis (right) test their sleep-device design at zero gravity)

A team of PSU students became the first architecture students in the nation to participate in NASA's "Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program." The program, run by the Johnson Space Center in Houston, recreates the zero-gravity "weightless" environment of space flight for test, research, and training purposes. The architecture students flew in July; a group of mechanical engineering students from PSU flew this past spring.

The architecture students' project, "Sleep Hardware Concept Evaluation and Analysis," was designed to mimic the weight and pressure of blankets, making a zero-gravity environment more conducive to sleeping. Systems currently used in space flight lack the sensation of weight, possibly contributing to sleep deprivation in astronauts. During the low-gravity flights aboard a Boeing KC-135A, students were able to test their design, evaluating it for comfort as well as ease of use and storage.

The students' unique project caught the interest of astronaut Dave Wolf and flight surgeon James Locke, who flew with the group to test their sleep system. Wolf and Locke were enthusiastic about the device and provided valuable feedback on improving the design. Results may help NASA researchers design better sleep systems for space flight. For more information on the group and their flight, visit www.offplanetarchitecture.pdx.edu.