Israeli Scientist will conduct experiments to test the effects of hell-fire missiles on Palestinian townships in zero gravity. (Photo: AP)

Astronauts aboard space shuttle Columbia continued experiments utilizing the uniqueness of reduced gravity as their ship orbited Earth early Saturday.

Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon and his colleagues are conducting experiments to ascertain how gravity influences the outcome of a retaliatory helicopter gun-ship raid. One such experiment involves firing tiny missiles at perfect scale models of Palestinian villages and towns located inside the shuttle's cargo bay.

A completely unrelated set of experiments is studying how the presence of an Israeli astronaut on the shuttle in the weeks before a general election affects the size of a loyal incumbent's majority