Stephen Hawking to fly in Zero Gravity

Stephen Hawking to fly in Zero Gravity

news.yahoo.com

ORLANDO, Fla. - Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who has been confined to a wheelchair for most of his adult life, expects weightlessness to feel like "bliss" when he goes on a "zero-gravity" flight Thursday aboard a refitted jet.


"For someone like me whose muscles don't work very well, it will be bliss to be weightless," Hawking told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday.

Hawking, 65, who has Lou Gehrig's disease, will be the first person with a disability to fly on the one of the flights offered by Zero Gravity Corp., a space tourism company.

Flying from
Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., the jet creates the experience of microgravity in 25-second bursts of steep plunges over the Atlantic Ocean. Normally, the plane conducts 10 to 15 plunges for its passengers who pay $3,750 for the ride, although that fee has been waived for Hawking.

On Hawking's trip, the jet will make a single plunge. Other plunges will be made only after doctors and nurses who are accompanying the astrophysicist on the ride have made sure that he is enjoying it.

"We consider ... having him weightless for 25 seconds is a successful mission," said Peter Diamandis, the chairman and CEO of Zero Gravity. "If we do more than one, fantastic."

(visit the link for the full news article)

How exciting for Mr. Hawking!
I think this will be great for him.
Comments?


news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I think it will be great for him too. The guy has done so much for theoretical physics and I think its fitting that he gets to experience a tiny bit of science in action, given his disabilities and the constraints he has to live under.

You know, he once visited the set of Star Trek, The Next Generation and sat next to the prop warp core. When he was asked what he thought about it he said "I'm working on this", and its not beyond anyones realm of imagination to realise that the theories he's worked on, and refined over the years may lead to the construction of such an object - maybe not in his lifetime or ours, but at some point in the near future.

Go Stephen!
I hope that he find this experience a wonderful one, and copes with it well enough to go for the full quota of weightless plunges.

My mum also suffers from motor neurone disease and quite often says that she feels weaker than Mr Burns from the Simpsons. To lose that feeling for even 25 seconds at a time would be as Stephen Hawkings says , bliss.
I hope it's everything he imagines it will be.

Already covered. =P
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Absolutely wicked, I hope he has a great time up (& down) there.
He is one of the greatest minds we have ever known and deserves this.
Have a great ride Steven.
Don't be

It was on the news and he looks happy, you can actually see the smile on his face. I cant imagine if I'm on a wheelchair for 40 years and not being able to move around freely.

Originally posted by Slash
Already covered. =P
www.abovetopsecret.com...

A topic can be covered in a thread in the news section and the general
board, so both threads are fine.

Wouldn't it be great if instead of having to get around in a wheelchair and constant sitting position that the disabled could get around in a zero gravity bubble of some sort. No more wheelchairs, etc.

I love this idea, what a small sense of relief that he might be able to experience. I think I would have gone mad by now if I were Prof. Hawking. But this should be a great fun ride for him to be able to move freely for a little bit.

Here is the man himself doing his thing.

Nice one Stephen

Sky news report & video

off topic but I love your UFO avitar

on topic
God Bless the man.
Weightless and free from the confines of his chair.
Cheers Stephen

[edit on 6-5-2007 by junglelord]

I'm very happy for the man! I'm glad he enjoyed it! He's done so much to help further mankind.