While the Vomit Comet would be primarily for entertainment, Rogers can foresee scientific and research applications.
In fact, since the weight of the passengers will vary with each ride, the capsule must be weighed and the "flight" recalculated prior to each launch.ĭuring the ride, these calculations will be adjusted in real time to give riders the longest possible experience of microgravity, BRC officials said. "Eight seconds of it will feel like forever."īRC estimates that it will cost $40 million to $60 million to develop the Vomit Comet, and the high price tag is largely because of how precise the ride has to be. "I was privileged to ride the real KC-135A and microgravity is one of the most astonishing, amazing sensations you will ever feel," Rogers said. And while some may say that sounds too brief, Rogers insists the experience will be well worth it. īRC is aiming to give riders eight seconds of microgravity and possibly more, depending on the weight of the vehicle, the cost, and the engineering specifications. As the speeds slow, the vehicle will then take the passengers down the track – only it won't seem as if they are falling, since they won't be able to see outside the capsule.Īt the right moment in the deceleration, the riders will be pulled back into their seats as they experience the switch from microgravity to 2Gs, or double Earth's regular gravity. It will be as if the riders had been tossed in the air and the capsule was simply flying with them, BRC officials said. When it reaches the correct speed, the capsule will slow very slightly, and passengers will feel themselves levitating away from their seats. Rogers did not disclose the exact speed of the Vomit Comet, but the company has said the enclosed capsule will accelerate to faster than 100 mph, then turn and race straight up along the track. The system would operate similarly to other high-acceleration roller coasters, but more-sophisticated controls would ensure the proper amount of acceleration and deceleration to achieve the sensation of microgravity, BRC officials said. "The sensation is a bit like being in an enclosed room while someone fiddles with the gravity switch, turning it back and forth, between one-g, zero-g and double gravity," he said. This will enhance the thrill, Rogers said, since riders will not be able to gauge their own movement against fixed objects or the horizon. While conventional roller coasters involve open-air seating, the capsule used in BRC's Vomit Comet will be completely enclosed.
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