Technavance Takes Flight: Supporting Human Physiology Research on the 87th ESA Parabolic Flight Campaign

This year, Technavance reached an exciting milestone: participating in the 87th European Space Agency (ESA) Parabolic Flight Campaign, a program that provides researchers with repeated access to microgravity without leaving Earth’s atmosphere. For a small, family-owned company dedicated to advancing human physiology research, taking part in this campaign was a defining moment.

Partnering With Texas A&M and Carlos III University of Madrid on Microgravity Physiology Research

Technavance supported the research team led by Dr. Ana Diaz Artiles of Texas A&M University and Carlos III University of Madrid, whose work explores cardiovascular and ocular adaptations to microgravity — key physiological challenges for long-duration human spaceflight.

Her team used a custom Lower Body Negative Pressure (LBNP) chamber designed by Technavance and modified specifically for use aboard the parabolic flight aircraft, allowing controlled hypovolemic stress during rapid gravitational transitions.

Three Flight Days, Three Technavance Flyers

The campaign featured three flight days, giving each member of Technavance’s team — Nathan, Michelle, and Curtis — the opportunity to fly. Each served as the LBNP operator for a day, supporting the research protocol throughout the parabolas.

Experiencing microgravity firsthand allowed the team to see exactly how the chamber performed in flight and to gain new insight into the practical realities of conducting physiology research in extreme environments.

Engineering for Rapid Gravity Transitions

Each parabola exposed the team and equipment to a repeating sequence of gravitational phases:

~30 seconds of 1.8 g during the pull-up

~30 seconds of microgravity (~0 g)

~30 seconds of 1.8 g during the pull-out

A return to 1 g during recovery

This cycle repeated 30 times per flight, creating a demanding environment for both researchers and equipment. The LBNP chamber had to maintain precise negative pressure throughout all phases, across all 30 parabolas, on each of the three flight days.

Continuing the Mission: April 2026

The success of this campaign has already led to the next chapter.Dr. Ana Artiles has been selected to fly again during the April 2026 parabolic flight campaign to continue her research into microgravity-driven cardiovascular and ocular adaptations.

Technavance is excited to share that Nathan will join her and her team once again, supporting another round of parabolas and contributing to the next phase of this important work.

Advancing Physiology for Space and Earth

The data collected during these flights advances understanding of how the human body responds to microgravity and fluid shifts — knowledge essential for the future of human space exploration and highly relevant to clinical physiology here on Earth.

For Technavance, participating in ESA’s parabolic campaign reinforces the company’s mission: connecting great engineering with great science to enable the next generation of physiology research.

Looking Forward

As Technavance continues building tools for cardiovascular, exercise, aerospace, and clinical physiology, experiences like these shape the way we design, collaborate, and innovate. We look forward to supporting Dr. Artiles’ 2026 flight campaign and all the discoveries that lie ahead — both on the ground and 30,000 feet above it.