So much of real science is publishing articles and peer-reviewed studies, so it’s always great to see that crazy, fluorescent, glowing space-plane, movie-type science is really out there too. And NASA is doing it with the best of them.
First NASA scientists took a 5.8 per cent scale prototype space plane and covered in a ton of glowing, fluorescent oil. Then, they stuck it in a wind tunnel to put its aerodynamics to the test. There’s plenty you can learn from a wind tunnel test and your naked eyes, but the glowing oil helps to showcase the more minute details of how the air blasts by, making it easier to tweak the design to modify lift, thrust, and whathaveyou.
Also it just looks freaking awesome. We should cover and all space planes in fluorescent oil all the time. You know, for science. [NASA]
Picture: NASA Langley/Preston Martin