NASA Astronaut Don Pettit is at it again with cool experiments on the ISS. In this episode, Don uses his off-duty time to practice his microgravity yo-yo skills.
How the yoyo behaves is truly amazing, and not at all how you would expect it to. However with the yoyo Don uses, (a free spinning axle - ball-bearing style) clearly demonstrates how gyroscopic action works in micro gravities.
How the yoyo behaves is truly amazing, and not at all how you would expect it to. However with the yoyo Don uses, (a free spinning axle - ball-bearing style) clearly demonstrates how gyroscopic action works in micro gravities.
2 comments:
Okay, that is not what I expected. There are so many things I want to try in low to zero gravity. Like those popper things you buy, or those string pop fireworks thing.
Intellectually I knew that a yoyo was a gravity and angular energy and if you take away one of the components, the device will perform differently, but to see it slowly drift through the trick was disconcerting. The whole idea behind yoyo tricks are that people can see the device moving, but never take into account the angular spin put on the device. Plus he is using one with a clutch on the axle which allows the inner portions to spin up seperatly which gives it a whole different set of capabilities. Petit is fun if nothing else!
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