FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIES COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE WEBINAR
Designing a Flight Test-Ready Payload
Speakers:
- Veerle Reumers, Ph.D., R&D Manager, imec USA
- Earl Adams, Flight Campaign Manager, NASA’s Flight Opportunities program
- Michelle Peters, Director of Research & Education, Zero Gravity Corporation (ZERO-G)
February 2, 2022
Abstract
In addition to developing and planning their technology flight tests, researchers supported by NASA’s Flight Opportunities program are tasked with a variety of other priorities to achieve a successful flight: designing and building a rugged payload, creating and rehearsing team procedures, and communicating their demonstration’s needs to their flight provider. In this session, imec’s Dr. Veerle Reumers, principal investigator of the Silicon-based Microfluidic Blood Test for Spaceflight project, will share her experience developing a flight-ready payload. She will also illustrate how she established clear communication with her team’s flight provider – Zero Gravity Corporation – and their campaign manager, Earl Adams. Earl and ZERO-G Director Michelle Peters will also share their perspectives on preparing for successful flight tests and will clarify how to best utilize the resources provided to Flight Opportunities-supported researchers.
Download the slides
Speaker Bios
Dr. Veerle Reumers obtained her Master’s and Ph.D. degree in biomedical sciences from the University of Leuven. Before joining imec, she performed her postdoctoral research on molecular imaging techniques in neurosciences at Harvard Medical School. In the Life Sciences department at imec she explored different applications of imec technology blocks in the field of cell biology with a main focus on lens-free imaging and multi-electrode array electrophysiology. As R&D team leader she lead research and development projects, ranging from public funded academic collaborations to industry driven bilateral projects. Dr. Reumers is currently the R&D manager in the imec Florida office, initiating new collaborations and research projects in imaging and space health.
Earl Adams has a multi-decade career at NASA and serves several roles at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center. Mr. Adams is a parabolic flight campaign manager for NASA’s Flight Opportunities program and coordinates the preparation of technology payloads for flight demonstrations. This work enables him to keep track of how these flight demonstrations are helping researchers mature their technologies and advance the technology readiness levels of their experiments.
Mr. Adams also works with NASA Armstrong’s Technology Transfer Office as a New Technology Representative and Software Release. He is responsible for managing new technology submissions, managing the use of the New Technology Transfer System, as well as the software release process. Earl is also responsible for new technology reporting and software release training at Armstrong.
Michelle Peters joined the ZERO-G team in early 2007 and currently works as the Director, Research & Education and Inflight Supervisor. Having completed more than 200 flights and 5,000 parabolas, she regularly floats and flips with passengers as one of two ZERO-G Flight Attendants onboard most flights. Her experience further includes supporting NASA research missions as the ZERO-G safety lead, coaching inflight teams on fun flights, managing the Weightless Lab research program, creating educational initiatives, and more.
Dedicated to the highest standards of excellence in every aspect of her ZERO-G career, Michelle continues to aid thousands of clients from ages 8 to 80 to achieve their Weightless Experience® goals. Whether advancing scientific investigations and STEM studies or ensuring a safe and exciting experience onboard G-FORCE ONE®, Michelle remains firmly committed to ZERO-G’s mission of making the experience of weightlessness available to everyone.
