Zero Gravity during space shuttle re-entry?

I'm trying to write an anecdote about one of my characters being in a space shuttle that's re-entering the atmosphere. I want to have him watch his hair float around above his head, but then it ocurred to me that there might actually be a significant gravitational force given that the air is pushing up against the shuttle and creating drag. Does this mean my hair floating shenanigans are a no-go?

Zero gravity (or, more correctly, microgravity) ceases when the spacecraft enters the Earth's atmosphere. As the air density increases and atmospheric braking begins, gravity inside the spacecraft likewise increases. The effect is similar to what you feel when you apply the brakes in a car. Brake gently, and you hardly feel anything. Slam on the brakes in a panic stop, and your seatbelt leaves marks. However, since the heatshield is on the spacecraft's "belly" and the ship basically does a bellyflop into the atmosphere, the crew would feel gravity increasing "downward."

In fact, it can increase to several times normal, depending upon the spacecraft used. The Russian Soyuz rocket performs high-stress braking maneuvers that can reach 8 gees, while the space shuttle seldom exceeds 1.5 gees during reentry (and only hits about 3 gees during launch.)

Or, you might have the shuttle use this method, instead:

http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01011.htm

http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1100/fv01013.htm

This is the standard atmospheric braking maneuver (except for the barrel roll, of course):

http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1900/fc01897.htm

http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1900/fc01898.htm

edited 29th Oct '15 5:33:23 PM by pwiegle

I thought things in freefall for all intents and purposes don't have gravity?

Once atmospheric braking begins, they're no longer in free fall.

Indeed, atmospheric breaking is like trying to slow down a fall down a canyon by sticking a sword into a canyon wall. Only in this case the wall is made of air and so is the sword.

So not quite free fall.

edited 29th Oct '15 6:53:01 PM by Kazeto