The payload we chose focuses on a futuristic technology: using Magnetic Levitation for G-force damping. G-force damping is useful in that manned and unmanned space vehicles can only go at a speed which is safe for astronauts and equipment.
  With g-force damping technology called Magnetic Levitation, rockets in the future can reach greater speeds, allowing for inter-planetary travel faster than ever before. Magnetic Levitation is a method in which an object is suspended with no support other than magnetic fields.  Magnetic forces are used to counteract the effects of the G-forces and shocks.  However, there are two primary issues involved in Magnetic Levitation, which are lifting forces providing magnetic repulsion sufficient to successfully oppose gravity, and stability ensuring that the system does not spontaneously slide or flip into a position where the levitation is rendered impossible.  
  Another way to do it is to use diamagnetism, the property of an object which causes it to create a magnetic field in opposition to an outer magnetic field, thus causing the material to be repelled by magnetism.  Diamagnetic materials cause magnetic fields to curve away from the material.  Specifically, an outer magnetic field changes the orbital speed of electrons around their nuclei, thus changing the magnetic dipole moment. Diamagnetism is a form of magnetism that is only exhibited by a substance in the area of an outer magnetic field, and is generally quite weak in most materials, although bismuth and superconductors exhibit a strong effect.

The idea is that magnets on an object being used as a payload will repel each other,
thereby causing that object to float in midair inside the payload bay.  We hope this will dampen sudden accelerations in that given object.  
  The payload will be a hollow sphere with three bar magnets inside running crosswise, lengthwise, and height wise. The sphere is within another sphere with six small bar magnets, one in each direction, all pointed at the payload,while the outer sphere will be attached to the inside of the payload bay with screws in four places spaced evenly around the outside of the rocket.  There will be two accelerometers mounted within the spheres; one in the middle of the interior sphere to measure the supposedly dampened forces, and another mounted within the outer sphere to measure the undamped forces.  Additionally, there will be a camera mounted on the inside of the outer sphere to observe the payload during flight. The spheres will be made out of plastic, and the accelerometers will be purchased from Sparkfun.com. We will analyze the experiment by watching the video and uploading the results from the accelerometers.  We will report the results of the experiment to NASA in the PLAR.