Congress approves $2M for ‘microgravity’ space research

Case Western Reserve University and NASA Glenn Research Center have enjoyed a long-standing and extensive history of research collaboration.

Now, $2 million recently committed within the federal government’s funding package for fiscal 2026 will support further space-related research by Case Western Reserve and NASA Glenn.

The funding will support the Next Generation Microgravity Research program, a collaboration between CWRU and NASA Glenn researchers to advance insights into the effects of microgravity—a condition where objects experience relative weightlessness commonly encountered in orbit around the Earth or in deep space.

Scientists from Case Western Reserve work with NASA engineers to conduct research using NASA Glenn’s Zero Gravity Research Facility (ZGF), NASA’s premier facility for ground-based microgravity research and the largest facility of its kind in the world. A drop tower is a facility that places an object in complete free fall to create a temporary microgravity environment for payloads of up to 1,000 pounds, allowing researchers to study various physical systems in a near-zero gravity environment.

The ZGF has been used by scientists and engineers for reduced gravity experiments since 1966. Research at the center has been used to develop space flight systems and technology and as a valuable source of data.

“This federal funding is critical to advancing the future of microgravity research in a manner that is both accessible and cost-effective,” said Case Western Reserve President Eric W. Kaler. “We appreciate Congressman Miller’s steady support for the university, our research and our partnership with NASA.” 

“I am proud to have secured this funding for Case Western Reserve University in collaboration with NASA Glenn, whose leadership and innovation continue to set the standard for space research,” said U.S. Congressman Max Miller. “This partnership will ensure Ohio remains at the forefront of space technology. Ohio leads the way.” 

Case Western Reserve and NASA Glenn researchers work together on a range of projects, including high-performance materials, advanced manufacturing, next-generation sensors and microelectronics and experimentation to address fundamental questions, such as how fire and fluids behave in space.

The Zero Gravity Research Facility allows testing that models space environments at a much lower cost than other research methods such as using airplanes flying parabolic trajectories and rotating suborbital flights.

Researchers at the university’s Case School of Engineering intend to create an expanded microgravity research program to speed progress on issues such as:

• Fluid and flow dynamics.
• Sensors and optical instrumentation.
• Thermal management.
• Combustion and spacecraft fire safety.
• Fundamental physics of gravity forces.
• Impact and ballistics on microelectronics.
• And biological investigations, such as how organisms adjust to novel environments.