The vomit comet

The same plane used for the film “Apollo-13” will host a series of experiments for some Missouri college students. University of Missouri-Rolla professor Marshall Porterfield is sending four students to Houston to board the KC-135 aircraft. It loops and dives to create zero-gravity conditions. While on the plane, the students will perform a series of tests on plants. They want to learn how well plants do in weightlessness so scientists learn how to grow them in space some day. Porterfield says the students will take the KC-135 next February.