Microgravity is achieved by going far from any gravitational field, falling or orbiting a celestial body. Low Earth orbit does not have low gravity, but objects are in constant free fall. Microgravity has unique effects on flames, plant growth, and object movement. It was used to produce spherical iron balls. It is harsh on humans, causing muscle deterioration and fluid movement. Rotating space stations may be built to simulate gravity.
Microgravity is the environment created during weightlessness, where gravity has a negligible effect. Microgravity is achieved in three ways: going far enough away from any planet or star’s gravitational field, falling or orbiting a celestial body, the same thing as falling but never stopping.
A common misconception is that gravity disappears when in low Earth orbit (LEO), such as the International Space Station. This is not the case. LEO is not far enough from the Earth’s surface to have low gravity – in fact, gravity is similar to its strength on the surface. The weightless effect is only caused because objects on the space station and that space station are in constant free fall.
One of the most famous effects of microgravity is that a flame becomes spherical. Plants grow towards the light source rather than in a specific direction. This same effect can be achieved to some extent on Earth, but is even more evident in microgravity conditions. If objects are left alone, they have a tendency to fall towards the denser part of the spacecraft. In LEO, a small amount of weight bias is also felt as the very thin air creates a push effect in one direction of the orbiting spacecraft. These play a part in why the environment on a space station is called microgravity more often than zero gravity, although both terms are used.
Microgravity has historically been used on the earth’s surface to produce highly spherical iron balls for buckshot. By making a tower a couple of hundred feet high and dripping molten iron from the top, the shot would form into spheres due to surface tension, then cool enough as it fell to remain intact when it hit the bottom. This was used to mass produce high quality buckshot. The scientific parallel of a shooting tower is the drop tower.
Microgravity is relatively harsh on humans. It causes our muscles to deteriorate, forcing constant exercise. Blood and fluids float freely around the body, sometimes causing a swollen face and stuffy nose. Extreme flatulence is common. It seems likely that once LEO entry becomes more popular, rotating space stations will be built to simulate the presence of gravity and make everyone happier.
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