TikTok Star's Space Dream Turns Sour on Notorious Vomit Rocket
In a dramatic twist for social media fame, TikTok trainspotting sensation Francis Bourgeois has experienced the harsh realities of astronaut training, with a zero-gravity flight aboard the aptly named 'Vomit Rocket' living up to its grizzly reputation. The incident occurred as part of a new Channel 4 documentary series, 'Mission to Space with Francis Bourgeois', where the enthusiastic train enthusiast pursued his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut.
A Dream Deferred by Motion Sickness
Initially, Mr Bourgeois appeared to relish the simulated microgravity environment, drifting and spinning through the air with impressive acrobatics. However, as the modified aircraft continued its relentless parabolic arcs, he quickly voiced concerns, telling the crew, 'Hang on, I'm feeling a bit sick. I need a bag.' Before long, the TikToker was violently throwing up into a paper sickbag, with the zero-gravity conditions causing his vomit to float around the cabin.
Reflecting on the ordeal after landing, Mr Bourgeois offered a candid assessment: 'It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and it quickly became the most horrendous experience of my life.' He added, 'There was a side of me that wanted this to be a very macho demonstration of my bravery, but it ends up being quite the opposite, really.'
The Science Behind the Vomit Rocket
The so-called Vomit Rocket is a specialised aircraft used to simulate weightlessness through parabolic flights. Here is how it works:
- The plane climbs at a steep 45-degree angle to around 7,500 metres, creating a pull 1.8 times stronger than Earth's gravity.
- The pilot then cuts back the engines, allowing the plane to drift upwards so that everything inside falls at the same acceleration as gravity.
- This creates weightless conditions for about 30 seconds, as the aircraft and passengers fall at the same rate.
- The plane pulls out of the dive, repeating the cycle up to 20 times in a row.
Originally developed by NASA, this technique helps astronauts prepare for space, but a common side effect is violent motion sickness due to the sudden, artificially-induced weightlessness—hence the plane's nickname.
Gruelling Training Regimen for Aspiring Astronaut
Mr Bourgeois's journey to space involved more than just the vomit-inducing flight. Under the guidance of British astronaut Tim Peake, he underwent rigorous G-force training in the UK, expressing concerns about his ability to withstand such forces due to postural hypertension. He then travelled to the US to pursue a place on Axiom Space's astronaut training programme, where he faced:
- Oxygen starvation in a hypobaric chamber.
- Isolation training to simulate the loneliness of the moon.
- Simulated astronaut emergencies.
He noted that the hyperbaric chamber brought back old feelings of claustrophobia, stemming from a childhood incident where he was swept out to sea. Despite the challenges, Mr Bourgeois found a silver lining, stating, 'The experience has helped me to understand not so much my desire to get out into space... but more how special it is to be on Earth and how much we need to cherish what we have.'
Documentary Release Details
'Mission to Space with Francis Bourgeois' airs on Channel 4, with episodes scheduled for Sunday 25 January and Sunday 1 February at 18:50. The series chronicles his ambitious attempt to transition from trainspotting to astronaut training, highlighting both the triumphs and tribulations of his spacefaring aspirations.
