This past July, the Wise family of Cape Elizabeth partnered with residents from Portland, Winslow, Houlton, Caribou, Vassalboro and Standish to help NASA research the possibility of sending a man to Mars. The 10-person “Dirigo” team assembled by 19-year-old John Wise Jr. brought some interesting luggage – a special incubator they call “the rig” – aboard two flights on the Weightless Wonder, also known as the “Vomit Comet.” The NASA-owned Vomit Comet is a C9-B passenger plane capable of performing parabolic maneuvers at 30,000 feet to simulate 25 seconds of zero gravity.

“We were testing how altered gravity affected cell function,” John Wise Jr. said. “We predicted an increase in chemicals and more DNA damage.”

By exposing cells to a specific chemical and bringing them onboard the “Vomit Comet” during flights designed to simulate zero gravity, the team discovered cells are twice as susceptible to DNA damage in zero gravity as they would normally be on the earth’s surface. Sunlight and radiation exposure in space is twice as damaging to astronauts, John Wise Sr. said. 

“When you’re in zero gravity you have to think of your exposure differently,” he said. “You have to protect yourself twice as much.”

Why would NASA be interested in the Wises’ discovery? 

“They want to go to Mars,” John Wise Sr. said. “To do it, they’re thinking about putting a permanent station on the moon. It’s a year-long trip to get to Mars, so people would be in space a lot longer. They’re worried about an increased bone and muscle loss.”

The trip to NASA’s Reduced Gravity Student Flight Program at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas wasn’t all about scientific discovery, however, as John Wise Jr., his 19-year old brother and fellow sophomore James Wise and their mother Sandy Wise said experiencing zero gravity was something they wouldn’t soon forget. 

“It’s like being in water with no pressure,” John Wise Jr. said. “Every position is comfortable, it’s an amazing feeling. I loved it.”

James Wise, who was originally opposed to going aboard the “Vomit Comet” described his weightless experience a little differently; during one flight he found himself stuck to an adhesive pad on the floor of the cabin – designed to pull dust from the bottom of passengers’ shoes – and struggled to free himself. 

“I had to really push to get up and they said ‘Take it easy,’ because I would have just gone flying into the ceiling,” he said with a chuckle.

Per the program’s emphasis on undergraduate students, John Wise Sr. wasn’t allowed aboard during the flights but that didn’t stop him from having fun during the 10-day excursion. He and John Wise Jr. explored a hangar for one NASA’s rockets they said was so large it wouldn’t fit inside a football stadium. 

“I could pretty much have [John Wise Jr.] stand on my shoulders inside the [exhaust of the rocket] and we wouldn’t touch both sides of it,” he said. “You don’t get that sense when you see the rocket on television or in the movies.”

John Wise Jr. said he began writing the proposal for their “Vomit Comet” experiment after collaborating with NASA for an ongoing experiment investigating the effects of lunar dust. Inspired by the “lunar dust hay fever” brought back by one astronaut, John Wise Jr. has been subjecting lung cells to chemicals commonly found in lunar dust to determine how harmful it could be for astronauts staying on the moon for extended periods of time. 

“[NASA] needs to know if they need to build a special entryway to get rid of [the lunar dust,]” Sandy Wise said. “Since it’s magnetized, one idea is to pull it off their suit before they walk into the station.”

John Wise Jr. said he learned about the NASA “Vomit Comet” outreach program allowing undergraduates to conduct an experiment of their own design in zero gravity last fall and immediately began drafting a proposal.

“Why wouldn’t I do this, I get to be in zero gravity,” he said. “It was more work that I thought but worth it.”

One of 10 teams to participate in the program this year, the Wise-spearheaded “Dirigo” team was the first time Mainers had been aboard the “Vomit Comet” and John Wise Jr. said he’s already working on next years’ proposal.

“All the other teams were doing engineering and industrial experiments,” Sandy said. “We were the largest and the only one doing a biology experiment.”

There’s no shortage of ideas for future experiments; lunar dust and zero gravity are only a few aspects of possible “moon-life” hazards, as a large majority of the planet remains unexplored, James Wise said. In preparation for building a permanent structure there, astronauts would have to explore “what’s beyond the two feet of dirt we’ve already researched,” he said.

“All the [explored] sites are really close together and small,” he said. “What is on the dark side of the moon?”

Being a scientist isn’t all about crazy plane rides and playing with moon rocks -– John Wise Jr. said he and his brother began working at the USM laboratory on a volunteer basis and many of their experiments are unfunded.

“You’re going to volunteer to start,” James Wise said. “People work for the science, not for the money.”

To learn more about the Wises’ experiment visit their Web site usm.maine.edu/toxicology/microgravityu.