Microgravity Fluid Dynamics Test Apparatus

This project involved the design and execution of a low-cost experimental apparatus to investigate the diffusion rate of water in Lunar and Martian regolith simulants under reduced-gravity conditions.

The design features a sealed, gridded Petri dish filled with regolith simulants, into which water is pumped via needled syringe. This flattened, disk-like geometry was needed to constrain the water droplet’s expansion to two dimensions, enabling clearer observation and analysis, as diffusion is expected to approach spherical symmetry in reduced gravity.

The experiment was tested aboard the ZERO-G G-Force One Aircraft in March 2024, under the partnership of NASA SEES (STEM Enhancement in Earth Science), Carthage College, and Zero Gravity Corporation. Although video footage was captured during parabolic flight, excessive motion artifacts limited the ability to extract any reliable measurements. The project nevertheless provided novel insight into experimental design constraints, microgravity testing, and data acquisition challenges in flight environments.