Photos: Zero-Gravity Science at NASA's Microgravity University

NASA Microgravity University: Briefing Room

SPACE.com/Tariq Malik

The mission briefing room at NASA's Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program at Ellington Field, Houston, is decorated with paintings of aircraft used in the weightless flights and the emblems of past missions. Image taken on July 17, 2013. [Read the Full Story]

Fuel Droplet Burns in One-G

Sam Avery

A fuel droplet burns in one-G (Earth gravity), in the University of California, San Diego lab where undergaduate Sam Avery and his team are studying microgravity's effects on fire. [Read the Full Story]

UCSD Microgravity Team: Control Box

SPACE.com/Tariq Malik

University of California, San Diego, aerospace engineering student Sam Avery demonstrates the control box for his team's zero-gravity flame experiment to ride on a weightless flight during NASA's Microgravity University Program at Ellington Field, Houston. Image taken July 17, 2013. [Read the Full Story]

NASA Microgravity University: Mission Room

SPACE.com/Tariq Malik

The mission briefing room at NASA's Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program at Ellington Field, Houston, awaits crews for the agency's Microgravity University flights in July 2013. Image taken on July 17, 2013. [Read the Full Story]

UCSD Microgravity Fire Experiment

Sam Avery

A computer rendering of the UCSD microgravity fire experiment, after deposition of the fuel droplet. [Read the Full Story]

UCSD Microgravity Fire Experiment Team

Sam Avery

The UCSD microgravity fire experiment team, from left: Henry Lu, Sam Avery, Josh Sui, Seeman Farah. [Read the Full Story]

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Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.