Zero Gravity Corporation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
| Headquarters | Las Vegas[1], U.S. |
|---|---|
| Key people | Peter Diamandis Byron K. Lichtenberg Ray Cronise |
| Website | http://www.gozerog.com |
Zero Gravity Corporation (also known as ZERO-G) is a Nevada-based company, formerly of Fort Lauderdale, which operates weightless flights. The company operates a modified Boeing 727 which flies parabolic arcs similar to those of NASA's KC-135 Reduced Gravity Aircraft. Unlike NASA, Zero G is governed by the FAA under Part 121 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (as are all US commercial passenger and cargo airlines) enabling them to offer the experience of weightlessness to both adventure tourists and researchers alike.
Founded by entrepreneur Peter Diamandis, astronaut Byron K. Lichtenberg, and NASA engineer Ray Cronise, the company is one of many private space companies working towards space tourism. A number of notable passengers have been on weightless flights run by the company, including Penn Jillette[2] and Teller[3] , Martha Stewart, Burt Rutan, Buzz Aldrin, and John Carmack. Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking also completed a shortened flight on April 26, 2007.[4][5] On December 9, 2007, Zero G hosted Adam Savage, and Jamie Hyneman of MythBusters to prove whether or not the Apollo Moon landing was a hoax. On April 21, 2007, they began regular flights from Las Vegas for the general public[6] at ticket prices of USD $3,675. Good Morning America aired promotional footage[7] featuring their weatherman Sam Champion during a preview flight in Ohio.[8] In March 2008, the company was acquired by Space Adventures [1]. The current price of a flight for a single passenger is USD $4,950 plus tax.[9]
Contents |
[edit] Flight experience
A Zero G flight lasts approximately thirty minutes, and consists of fifteen parabolas: two that simulate martian gravity, three that simulate lunar gravity, and ten that simulate weightlessness[10]. Each parabola begins with the aircraft climbing at a 45 degree angle at approximately 24,000 feet (7,300 m), peaks at 32,000 ft (9,800 m), and ends with the aircraft pointed down at a 30 degree angle.
[edit] Research flights for NASA
NASA has a microgravity services contract with Zero G. Zero G provided the first flights under this contract on Sept. 9 and 10, 2008. Flight time from Ellington Field near Johnson Space Center was provided for the FASTRACK Space Experiment Platform. The flights were funded by NASA’s Strategic Capabilities and Assets Program.[11]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Zero G - History
- ^ "Learning to Fly, Strip, and Vomit on a 727". 2007-03-05. http://www.quut.com/archive/penn-how-to-fly/.
- ^ "Zero gravity for 3.5 G's". 2007-04-26. http://www.lvrj.com/news/7183296.html.
- ^ Stephen Hawking's Zero-G Flight Booked, CBS News, March 1, 2007
- ^ "Hawking takes zero-gravity flight". 2007-04-26. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6594821.stm. Retrieved on 2007-04-26.
- ^ "Las Vegas Welcomes Its Most Unique Attraction Yet: Weightless Flights by Zero Gravity Corporation". 2007-03-05. http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=222549. Retrieved on 2007-04-23.
- ^ "Weightless Thrill Ride". 2007-04-20. http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3067157. Retrieved on 2007-04-23.
- ^ "Ask Sam Champion About Zero Gravity". 2007-04-23. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3060056. Retrieved on 2007-04-23.
- ^ http://www.gozerog.com/reserve.htm
- ^ Zero G Flights Could Bolster Space Tourism, Research Industries, Space.com, September 22, 2004
- ^ "Space experiment rack receives flight time". SPACEPORT NEWS. Sept. 19, 2008. http://ipp.nasa.gov/pdf/spaceport_news_fastrack_3.pdf.
[edit] External links
- Official site
- Zero Gravity Puerto Rico
- Farewell to Gravity (Wired article by Xeni Jardin)
- Notes on Zero-G flight by John Carmack (September 26, 2004)
