Zero Gravity Corporation

Infobox Company
company_name = Zero Gravity Corporation
company_
company_type =
foundation =
location = Las Vegas [ [http://www.gozerog.com/history.htm Zero G - History ] ] , U.S.
key_people = Peter Diamandis
Byron K. Lichtenberg
Ray Cronise
industry =
products =
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
num_employees =
parent =
subsid =
homepage = http://www.gozerog.com
footnotes =

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 [cite web | title = Learning to Fly, Strip, and Vomit on a 727 | date = 2007-03-05 | url = http://www.quut.com/archive/penn-how-to-fly/ ] and Teller [cite web | title = Zero gravity for 3.5 G's | date = 2007-04-26 | url = http://www.lvrj.com/news/7183296.html ] , Martha Stewart, Burt Rutan, Buzz Aldrin, and John Carmack. Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking also completed a shortened flight on April 26, 2007. [ [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/01/tech/main2526636.shtml Stephen Hawking's Zero-G Flight Booked] , CBS News, March 1, 2007] [cite web | title = Hawking takes zero-gravity flight | date = 2007-04-26 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6594821.stm | accessdate = 2007-04-26 ] On December 9th of 2007, Zero G hosted Adam Savage, and Jamie Hyneman of MythBusters to prove or disproved whether the Apollo Moon landing was a hoax or not. The shoot will air in May 2008, and coincides with NASA's 50th anniversary.On April 21, 2007, they began regular flights from Las Vegas for the general public [cite web | title = Las Vegas Welcomes Its Most Unique Attraction Yet: Weightless Flights by Zero Gravity Corporation | date = 2007-03-05 | url = http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=222549 | accessdate = 2007-04-23 ] at ticket prices of USD $3,675. Good Morning America aired promotional footage [cite web | title = Weightless Thrill Ride | date = 2007-04-20 | url = http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3067157 | accessdate = 2007-04-23 ] featuring their weatherman Sam Champion during a preview flight in Ohio. [cite web | title = Ask Sam Champion About Zero Gravity | date = 2007-04-23 | url = http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3060056 | accessdate = 2007-04-23 ] In March 2008, the company was acquired by Space Adventures [http://www.gozerog.com/sa_acquisition.html] . The current price of a flight for a single passenger is USD $4,950.00 (plus tax), or roughly $330 per parabola. [http://www.gozerog.com/reserve.htm]

Flight experience

A Zero G flight lasts approximately thirty minutes, and consists of 15 parabolas: 2 that simulate martian gravity, 3 that simulate lunar gravity, and 10 that simulate weightlessness [ [http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/zero-g_industry_040922.html Zero G Flights Could Bolster Space Tourism, Research Industries] , Space.com, September 22, 2004] . Each parabola begins with the aircraft climbing at a 45 degree angle at approximately Convert|24000|ft|m|-2, peaks at Convert|32000|ft|m|-2|abbr=on|abbr=on, and ends with the aircraft pointed down at a 30 degree angle.

ee also

*Vomit Comet

References

External links

* [http://www.gozerog.com Official site]
* [http://www.zerogvegas.com Zero G Group Sales Agent]
* [http://www.zerogpr.com Zero Gravity Puerto Rico]
* [http://wired.com/news/space/0,2697,64980,00.html?tw=wn_story_page_prev2 Farewell to Gravity] (Wired article by Xeni Jardin)
* [http://www.armadilloaerospace.com/n.x/Armadillo/Home/News?news_id=279 Notes on Zero-G flight] by John Carmack (September 26, 2004)