Way freakin’ cool.
From the Planetary Society:
Stephen Hawking Flies into Zero-G and “Tastes” Space
By A.J.S. Rayl
April 27, 2007British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking – whose groundbreaking work on black holes and the origins of the universe has rewritten physics – floated free of his wheelchair in zero-gravity yesterday. Flying onboard a commercial 727 jet especially converted for weightless flights, he experienced for the first time what astronauts-in-training experience on NASA’s KC-135, better known as the “Vomit Comet.”
Hawking, 65, perhaps the most renowned theoretical physicist of his time, has long suffered from a motor neuron disorder called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Unable to move his hands and legs, he has been wheelchair bound for nearly four decades. In the mid-1980s, he also lost his ability to speak naturally after a tracheotomy following a bad bout with pneumonia….
Yesterday, Hawking escaped the confines of his illness for 4 minutes and experienced a freedom unlike any he’s ever known, becoming the first person with a disability to experience a zero-g flight on this commercial airline.
Before taking off over the Atlantic Ocean, Hawking acknowledged that experiencing weightlessness even for a few seconds would be a welcome change from life in the wheelchair. “The chance to float free in zero-g will be wonderful,” he said through his computer voice synthesizer during a pre-flight news conference. “I want to demonstrate to the public that anybody can participate in this type of weightless experience.”….
Hawking, who was accompanied on his flight by physicians and nurses, announced the plans for this flight earlier this year at his 65th birthday celebration on January 8 in Cambridge, England. Beyond the fun of floating free, he is preparing for a sub-orbital spaceflight on Virgin Galactica, the “spaceline” offshoot of Virgin Airways, slated to begin launches in 2009. Virgin’s founder, billionaire Richard Branson, said he will cover the $200,000 tab for the flight into space.
It must have been one helluva experience for Hawking. I’d do it, if given the chance. To be completely non-weight bearing? Hell yeah I’d do it.
The article also describes the parabolic flight very well. It also has info on the company (Zero Gravity Corporation) that has made the civilian version of NASA’s “Vomit Comet”.
Linkage:
Stephen Hawking
Zero Gravity Corporation
NASA – Vomit Comet | Wikipedia article
Virgin’s Galactic