The Double Gyroscope experiment designed by Filipino students from the Rizal Technological University (RTU), was successfully conducted onboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the 2025 Asian Try Zero-G (ATZG 2025) competition. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Astronaut Christopher Williams performed their experiment inside the Kibo module of the ISS last 24 March 2026.
Astronaut Williams conducted a total of 11 experiments which was livestreamed and viewed by the finalists at the JAXA Tsukuba Space Center in Japan.
Since 2022, experiments from Filipino students have consistently been selected as ATZG finalists and carried out on the ISS by astronauts. The Philippines has participated in the competition through the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), which serves as the local organizer as part of its education and outreach initiatives.
The ATZG competition from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), invites youth and young scientists from the Asia-Pacific to submit creative experiments designed for microgravity conditions. Selected experiments are performed by astronauts aboard the Kibo module in the ISS.
Double Gyroscope
Double Gyroscope was developed by third year astronomy students majoring in astrophysics: Christopher Tumamac, Ryan Andrew Doña, and Rose Ann Cezar.
Facing the photo: (L) Christopher Tumamac and (R) Ryan Andrew Doña present their experiment proposal at the Tsukuba Space Center, Japan.
Team members Ryan Andrew Doña and Christopher Tumamac were given the opportunity to present their experiment proposal at the JAXA Tsukuba Space Center before the live execution of their experiment. The observed results successfully aligned with the hypotheses outlined in their study.
JAXA Kibo Utilization Center Director Dr. Masaki Shirakawa (left-most) and JAXA astronaut Norishige Kannai (second-to-the-right) present Team Double Gyroscope with their certificates as ATZG2025 finalists. Photo courtesy of JAXA/NASA.
JAXA Kibo Utilization Center Director Dr. Masaki Shirakawa and JAXA Astronaut Norishige Kannai awarded certificates of recognition to the finalists during the event.
Reflecting on their ATZG experience, the team shared that conducting experiments in a zero-gravity environment presents unique challenges and opportunities, as weightlessness can affect how objects move despite careful planning to minimize uncertainties.
“We are very thankful for this opportunity given to us by PhilSA and I hope in the next batches of ATZG, more Filipino students will apply so they can also experience proposing an experiment in zero-gravity, see their experiment carried out, and learn a lot,” the team further added.
The experiment focused on two gyroscopes, or spinning devices used to help measure or maintain direction and balance, placed at the end of a stick.
Watch the full experiment: https://youtu.be/ZnacZuUJF4s
The team tested how the spinning gyroscopes behaved in zero-gravity, or the near weightless environment in space. Would the gyroscopes remain stable when gently nudged? What would happen if a stronger force was applied? Would the two gyroscopes shift positions?
The students hypothesized that when the gyroscopes spin in opposite directions, their motion may cancel each other out, causing the system to appear stable or nearly motionless. However, small differences in spinning could slowly change the direction the device points over time. When both gyroscopes spin in the same direction, the team expected the combined motion to make the system more stable and resistant to disturbances. By comparing how gyroscopes moved under different conditions, the experiment helps illustrate how spinning motion affects stability in a zero-gravity environment.
Double Gyroscope demonstrates a key principle used in spacecraft orientation, or how satellites and spacecraft control the direction they face in space. Internal spinning devices, such as reaction wheels and control moment gyroscopes (CMGs), help spacecraft rotate and maintain stability without relying on fuel-powered thrusters. By comparing how the gyroscopes moved under different conditions, the experiment helps illustrate how spinning motion affects stability in a zero-gravity environment.
Double Gyroscope proposal
To observe the movement in zero gravity, Astronaut Williams repeatedly conducted tests by spinning the gyroscopes and observing its movements closely. Results from the experiment will be presented in the 2025 ATZG wrap-up session later this year.
Double Gyroscope was selected from the 89 proposals submitted nationwide from 15 November 2024 to 17 January 2025. Following the national selection process, it became part of the official Philippine entries to the 2025 ATZG and was later selected by JAXA.
Team Double Gyroscope also explored the Tsukuba Space Center in Ibaraki, Japan and learned about JAXA’s space activities and missions.
About the Kibo-ABC program
The Kibo-ABC program or Asian Beneficial Collaboration through Kibo Utilization was established by the Space Frontier Working Group (SFWG) of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) to promote the utilization and share the value of the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo,” enhance the capacity of participating organizations, and foster collaborative projects between Japan and Kibo-ABC member countries.
ATZG, through its member organizations, is one of the activities under the Kibo-ABC program that aims to expand the use of the Kibo module on ISS and develop the youth’s understanding of space environments.
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