Zero gravity seems mighty fun, doesn't it?

In a report by The Verge, astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) had a bit of fun by staging their own version of the Olympics, a weightless one. Given that they weigh nothing out there, they decided they'd do a gymnastics competition they call a "lack of floor" routine.

Here is a Twitter video shared by astronaut Thomas Pesquet:

Pesquet's fellow astronauts on the ISS were doing all sorts of somersaults inside the space station in zero gravity. One astronaut even managed to complete his "lack of floor" routine without touching anything, which is a feat in itself.

Three more events were performed: the "no handball," "weightless sharpshooting," and "synchronized space swimming,"--both of which seem to be amazing additions to a futuristic edition of the Olympic Games. Here is a video of the "space swimming" event:

The Astronauts on the ISS are not Olympic gymnasts. Thus, it could be safe to say they can only do this in zero gravity. But if you think floating around in zero gravity is a thing you can only experience in space, then you don't know about the tech that allows for zero-G flights here on Earth.

Read also: Men's and Women's Bodies React Differently to Zero Gravity, NASA Finds

Zero Gravity Flights: How Do They Work, Exactly?

Zero gravity flights on Earth are not a product of science fiction or hoaxes. They're absolutely real. The world's fastest man, Usain Bolt was on one and even demonstrated how fast he could be at zero-G, reports RunnersWorld. But the thing is, Bolt was never in outer space. He was still on Earth, which obviously had gravity. So how did that happen?

According to the zero-G flight company Air Zero-G, it's all about parabolic flight. In simple terms, zero gravity pilots fly the plane horizontally, pull it up into an arc, reduce engine speed at the top, and let the plane free fall for a bit before turning the engine back up again to return to horizontal flight.

Weightlessness kicks in during the free fall period due to both the plane and its occupants being at the same speed while falling towards the Earth. It is also why the sense of zero gravity only lasts for a short amount of time.

Astronauts On The ISS Are Actually In Constant Free Fall

There is no gravity in the void of space. This is basic science. However, the astronauts on the ISS aren't actually floating because there is no gravity in there. The truth is that the space station itself is in constant free fall, writes the Smithsonian.

The only thing that prevents the International Space Station from falling back down to Earth is its speed moving forward, which it gained from the momentum that launched it to space. The speed where the ISS is falling is the same as its forward speed, which keeps them in orbit around the planet. It's why the astronauts stay weightless there, even if they're still technically affected by Earth's gravity.

Related: Blue Origin's New Shepard Rocket Plans to Sell Artificial Gravity to NASA

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Written by RJ Pierce

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