A NASA Boeing 737, previously used as a “Vomit Comet,” on display at Ellington Airport in Houston, Texas. NASA is looking to purchase a new aircraft for zero-gravity training from the US Air Force. (Shutterstock/Mark Taylor Cunningham)

NASA’s Next ‘Vomit Comet’ Comes with a Mysterious Background

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NASA is planning to buy a modified Boeing 737 from the Air Force, which has refused to disclose what its previous mission set was.

NASA is considering the conversion of a Boeing 737-700 into its next reduced-gravity training aircraft—commonly known as the “Vomit Comet”—for its trainee astronauts.

Unlike previous NASA training aircraft, the jet now under consideration has an unusual backstory. It currently belongs to the US Air Force, and was reportedly used for classified military programs.

What Is a “Vomit Comet,” Anyway?

The Vomit Comet is an aircraft used to simulate microgravity, lunar gravity, and reduced gravity environments. In order to train astronauts on these conditions within Earth’s existing atmosphere, the aircraft flies in steep parabolic........

© The National Interest