VGSS: ESA Ground-based Facility

The Variable Gravity Suspension System (VGSS) is an officially listed system in the European Space Agency's Ground-Based Facilities (GBF) Portfolio, supporting ESA's Explore2040 exploration science strategy.

What this means for European science teams

Inclusion in the ESA GBF Portfolio means that researchers from ESA member states can apply for ESA funding to access VGSS through the Continuously Open Research Announcement for Ground-Based Facilities (CORA-GBF). Approved projects receive up to €75,000 to cover the cost of access to the facility, making VGSS accessible to science teams at no direct cost to their institution.

The CORA-GBF is a continuously open announcement – there are no submission deadlines. Proposals are submitted through the ESA Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP).

ESA priority research themes addressed by VGSS

VGSS directly addresses the following priority themes from ESA's Explore2040 strategy (as detailed in CORA-GBF Annex 1):

• Exploration-focused – Crew Health and Performance: VGSS supports development and validation of exercise countermeasures for musculoskeletal and cardiovascular deconditioning; characterisation of locomotor and ballistic movement strategies at lunar and Martian gravity; and evaluation of medical devices and interventions under partial-gravity conditions.
• Exploration-focused – Environments and Effects: VGSS enables investigation of how reduced-gravity environments affect human physiological systems, movement patterns, and hardware performance.
• Exploration-focused – Habitation: VGSS can support evaluation of life support interfaces, habitat ergonomics, and the physical demands of living and working in reduced gravity.

How to write a competitive CORA-GBF proposal using VGSS

A strong proposal to ESA's CORA-GBF must clearly justify why VGSS is the appropriate facility for the proposed research. Key arguments available to you include:

• Unique capability: VGSS is the only terrestrial facility that delivers true axial hypogravity through inclination, without harness loading, across a continuously adjustable range from 0g to 0.16g (and to 0.38g from 2027). If your research requires sustained simulation of lunar or Martian gravity with authentic ground reaction force profiles, no other listed GBF provides this.
• Sustained duration: Unlike parabolic flight (20–30 seconds per parabola), VGSS sessions can run for hours, enabling steady-state physiological measurement, fatigue studies, and the repeated trial designs required for statistical power in biomechanics and exercise physiology research.
• Established track record: VGSS has already been used operationally by ESA and has contributed to hardware certification for the Fram2 orbital mission. This is a system with proven external scientific utility, not a developmental prototype.

Contact us before you submit. We can help you frame the scientific case, confirm facility suitability, and provide the Facility Application Form required by OSIP.

About the ESA CORA-GBF programme

The CORA-GBF is part of ESA's Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP), operated through the Human and Robotic Exploration directorate. It funds research access to a curated portfolio of ground-based facilities across Europe and associated states. Successful proposals are typically developed into Cooperative Agreements between ESA and the research team. Full terms and conditions are available through the OSIP platform.