Tuesday, June 2, 2009


Youngest passenger to fly in microgravity-world record set by Jules Nader

  GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador --The first zero G plane in Latin America, a T-39 Sabreliner performed flawlessly 18 parabolas with a total of 282 seconds in zero G and Lunar gravity, while carrying the 7 year old Jules Nader as he participated in a hydrodynamics experiment designed by his brother - setting the world record for the Youngest passenger to fly in microgravity .
 Photo: 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.
   Nadar became the youngest passenger ever aboard a zero-gravity flight . / AP photo/Ecuador Civil Space Aviation Agency. ( enlarge photo )

Jules André Nader Drouet (b. 24 June 2000; the flight was performed on June 12, 2008), 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 that he felt "like Spider-Man." Nader's 10-year-old brother Gerard also made the flight.

  The previous world record for the Youngest passenger to fly in microgravity was set by eight-year-old Danner Cronise , Zero Gravity Corporation ( ZERO-G ).    

  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.