Innovate in Microgravity - ESA's Parabolic Flights for Commercial Use
Share this page
Parabolic Flights Advantages for Commercial Research
Fast and Flexible Access to Microgravity – Unlike orbital missions, parabolic flights offer rapid access to microgravity environments without the long lead times or high costs associated with space launches.
They are a cost-effective entry point to space as they are significantly more affordable than sending payloads to the International Space Station (ISS) or using free-flyer platforms.
While until recently, ESA’s parabolic flight campaigns were primarily reserved for scientific research, ESA decided to enable access to parabolic flights for broader groups, including commercial actors. This marks a strategic expansion of access, enabling startups, SMEs, and industry partners to leverage microgravity for innovation, testing, and visibility.
Commercial entities are expected to cover the cost of the portion of the facility resources which they utilise. These costs may vary depending upon the dimensions, mass, power consumption, and number of operators required by the experiment. As a first approximation, one campaign for an average experiment (appox. 200kg, 200W, 2.5mx2,5m total footprint, including 3 human operators) would use facility resources equivalent to 150,000 EUR. Dedicated cost calculations will be performed on a case-by-case basis as part of the technical feasibility assessment phase of eligible proposals.
Eligible applicants are invited to submit their applications via the OSIP system: Open Space Innovation Platform – OSIP – Channel: Parabolic Flights – Technology and Commercial Applications
Parabolic Flights are Ideal for:
- Early-stage testing of prototypes and experimental setups.
- Iterative development, allowing companies to refine their technologies before committing to more expensive orbital missions.
- Startups and SMEs who wish to enter the space research domain.
- Pharmaceutical and biotech firms who wish to explore microgravity’s impact on drug development and tissue growth.
- Human factors research, such as testing wearable devices, medical equipment, training astronauts, and more.
Microgravity for All: Fostering an Inclusive Space Ecosystem
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) 2040 strategy states that ESA’s mission is “to lead and orchestrate European space excellence to build a more prosperous, resilient, independent, and inspiring life for all of Europe.” One of the ways to achieve this goal is to lower the barrier to enter the space sector and to make it achievable for smaller companies by offering affordable, short-duration microgravity exposure.
Parabolic flights are not just a scientific tool; they are a strategic enabler for commercial innovation. This initiative reflects ESA’s commitment to fostering a vibrant and inclusive space ecosystem – where academic excellence and commercial innovation converge to push the boundaries of exploration.
More about Parabolic Flights
Parabolic flights create short episodes of zero gravity by flying aircraft in a series of steep climbs and dives. Each parabola provides around 20 seconds of weightlessness, repeated 93 times across three flights on each campaign. Slightly longer periods of partial gravity are also possible, such as Lunar or Martian gravity levels.
Parabolic flights offer a unique opportunity for companies to test technologies and processes in microgravity without the cost and complexity of space missions. This enables faster iteration and validation of concepts – especially valuable for life sciences, materials development, agriculture, and more.
To learn more about parabolic flights: ESA – Parabolic flights
Flights are operated by Novespace: Novespace and Avico – Air Zero G
