Producing a Flight Profile for Drone-Based Zero Gravity Experiments with a Python Script

The purpose of this paper is to utilize drone technology to recreate zero gravity conditions. Microgravity, or Zero-G, occurs when the sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object approaches zero. Current simulations of microgravity require specialized aircrafts, amounting to high costs for small-scale tests. This research theorizes a flight plan capable of producing a Zero-G trajectory in a hexacopter drone. The flight plan is generated using a Python script and imported into a vehicle control software, Mission Planner. Analysis of respective flight profiles led to the conclusion that simulating Zero-G conditions with drone technology is possible. Due to a lack of drone-control settings within Mission Planner, a more appropriate flight control program is recommended moving forward. The results of this research have implications across various industries, particularly the aerospace industry in its ability to test the effects of Zero-G without allocating substantial resources.