Posts tagged Weightlessness

Sam, the Rhesus monkey, after his ride in the Little Joe-2 (LJ-2) spacecraft
A U.S. Navy destroyer safely recovered Sam after he experienced three minutes of weightlessness during the flight. Animals were often used during test flights for Project Mercury to help determine the effects of spaceflight and weightlessness on humans. LJ-2 was one in a series of flights that led up to the human orbital flights of NASA’s Project Mercury program. The Little Joe rocket booster was developed as a cheaper, smaller, and more functional alternative to the Redstone rockets. Little Joe could be produced at one-fifth the cost of Redstone rockets and still have enough power to carry a capsule payload. Seven unmanned Little Joe rockets were launched from Wallops Island, Virginia from August 1959 to April 1961.
Sam does not look amused. In fact Sam looks mad ABOUT it.
On April 3, Zero Gravity Corporation’s (ZERO-G), G-FORCE ONE will take off from IAD Airport offering fliers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to defy the laws of gravity. Guests will have the unique opportunity to float freely in complete weightlessness during ZERO-G’s weightless flight. ZERO-G is the first and only FAA-approved provider of commercial weightless flights.
Flying ZERO-G is a rare opportunity that only a select few have experienced calling it amazing and life-changing. The Weightless Experience is an extraordinary and exciting luxury travel experience. It is the only opportunity on Earth for the general public to experience true “weightlessness” without going to space.
ZERO-G guests will receive:
* Pre-flight training to maximize their ZERO-G Experience
* Private transportation to/from LaGuardia Airport
* ZERO-G flight suit and patch
* Personal photography by a world-class photographer
* Post-flight re-gravitation party
* Weightless flight award certificate
* Branded ZERO-G gifts
* The chance to experience the rare and exalted state of weightlessness
The weightless flight is a journey that offers guests the chance to float like an astronaut. The exceptional adventure allows guests to fly like Superman, flip like an Olympic gymnast, and enjoy 10-times more hang-time than the world’s best basketball player. It’s not simulated; ZERO-G replicates the same levels of weightlessness enjoyed on Mars (1/3-gravity), the moon (1/6-gravity), and zero gravity. It’s an experience unlike any other.
Martha Stewart, Joey Fatone, Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Dyrdek, Beatrice of York, Professor Stephen Hawking, Billy Bush, Gavin Newsom, Burt Rutan, Miles O’Brien, Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban and cast members of “The Apprentice” and “The Biggest Loser” are just a few notable passengers who’ve flown with ZERO-G and proclaimed it to be one of the most thrilling experiences of their lives.
This is the identical weightless flight experience used by NASA to train its astronauts and used by Ron Howard and Tom Hanks to film Apollo-13. Flights last approximately two hours and deliver 15 separate weightless experiences, each lasting about 30 seconds. The ZERO-G Experience is offered at a price of $4,950 per seat plus tax.

