Public domain
Microgravity
From the collection of NASA Image and Video Library. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Metal droplet levitated inside the Electrostatic Levitator (ESL). The ESL uses static electricity to suspend an object (about 2-3 mm in diameter) inside a vacuum chamber while a laser heats the sample until it melts. This lets scientists record a wide range of physical properties without the sample contacting the container or any instruments, conditions that would alter the readings. The Electrostatic Levitator is one of several tools used in NASA's microgravity materials science program.
NASA Image and Video Library’s own descriptionSubjects
Credit lineMicrogravity. NASA/MSFC, 1998-09-30. Public domain. ID: 0004400.
