microgravity
/ˌmaɪkroʊˈɡrævɪti/
Definition
A condition in which people or objects in spaceflight appear to be weightless because they are in freefall, or a laboratory-simulated state mimicking this environment.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek prefix 'mikros' meaning small and the Latin 'gravitas' meaning weight or heaviness. It was coined in the 20th century to describe the environment experienced by orbiting spacecraft.
In the news
In this article, microgravity refers to the actual environment of the International Space Station or simulated conditions used in experiments to study how biological systems function without standard gravity. Understanding these effects is vital for space medicine and long-term space exploration.
NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #1,204 12 June 2026 (Space Life Science Research Results)
Read the full article ↗Astrobiology News