Youngest passenger on wheightless flight-world
record set by Jules Nader
[June
22] QUITO, Ecuador--Jules Nader, a 7-year-old Ecuador
boy has set the world record for the youngest passenger ever
aboard a zero-gravity flight. Photo:In
this photo released by Ecuador's
Civil Space Aviation Agency, Jules Nader, 7, center,
floats with his brother Gerard Nader, 10, bottom left, and
friend Julia Velastegui, 17, behind right, during a zero-gravity
flight in an air force plane in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Thursday,
June 19, 2008.
Nadar became the youngest passenger ever aboard
a zero-gravity flight, setting a new World Record. (AP Photo/Ecuador
Civil Space Aviation Agency) (enlarge
photo)
Jules André Nader Drouet (b. 24 June
2000), says he wasn't scared during the four minutes of weightlessness
he experienced aboard an air force plane. He was accompanied
by the crew of the aircraft Fuerza-1 CONDOR and his father
– the first Ecuadorian astronaut Commander Ronnie
Nader.
He told The Associated Press on Friday that he felt
"like Spider-Man." Nader's 10-year-old brother Gerard also
made the flight.
On June 19th, at 10h00 the Ecuadorian Air Force
(FAE) and the Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency (EXA), executed
the aerospace mission EXA/FAE-06 on board of the Ecuadorian
microgravity plane the 'Fuerza-G 1 Cóndor', for the POSEIDON
scientific project.
The POSEIDON scientific project verified
the effects of microgravity in fluid dynamics, in an experiment
similar to those executed in the International Space Station
and perfomed the first biometric readings of children of less
than 11 years old while they work in microgravity in history.
The children, including the new world record
holder Jules Nader, performed flawlessly 18 parabolas
with a total of 282 seconds in zero G and Lunar gravity, none
of them were affected adversely, proving that, with a proper
training, children and youngsters can do scientific tasks
in microgravity environments, like space. (enlarge
photo)
The performers of this mission were the students
Julia Velasteguí (17 y.o.), Gerard Nader (10 y.o.) and Jules
Nader (7 y.o.), this one now bears the World Record in the
name of Ecuador.
This children underwent estrict physical, intelectual,
psychological and scientific training during the last month
to secure their participation in this mission and the correct
execution of the scientific experiments.
Jules Nader's father, Commander Ronnie
Nader, is the first Ecuadorian astronaut in history;
he was awarded the 'Example for Youth' medal by the Ecuadorian
government. He is ranked #3577 over 373.733 scientists around
the world, within the 1% more distinguished and over the 99%
of world's scientist, due to his scientific work and achievements.
(enlarge
photo)
The POSEIDON project is part of the
Ecuadorian Microgavity Flight Program (PEVM) that is being
executed by EXA and FAE and marks the start of the ZeroG Aeroespace
Program, dedicated to open the doors of science to all children
and youngs, not only Ecuadorian but world wide, that will
have access to this unique tool for their development.