Stephen Hawking in space (space... space...)

Well-known theoretical physicist and all-around geek hero Stephen Hawking has told the press he plans to undertake a zero-gravity flight this year in preparation for a hopeful berth on Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic space tourist service when it launches in 2009. Hawking, who has the neurological disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, communicates via a blink-controlled computer and uses a high-tech wheelchair for mobility, making space flight somewhat challenging -- but Virgin Galactic spokesperson Stephen Attenborough said in a statement Monday that Branson is committed to working through the issues that need to be addressed in order to accomodate people with disabilities on his company's trips into suborbit. Cost of a two-hour suborbital spaceflight? $200,000. The look on the most famous cosmologist's face upon actually making it into space? Priceless.

[noise @ Jan 9th 2007 12:05AM]

That so rocks. I hope everything goes well for him.

[Heatsink @ Jan 9th 2007 12:07AM]

$200,000 for two hours? Thats $100,000 an hour, $1,666.67 a minute, $27 a second, and about 2.7 cents a millisecond. Whew!
Still, I agree. Sending everyone's favorite theoretical cosmologist into space, especially with his disability, is priceless!

[James Smith @ Jan 9th 2007 12:18AM]

I think he'll go from geek hero to geek god when he makes it to space.

[macman47 @ Jan 9th 2007 12:30AM]

"The look on the most famous cosmologist's face upon actually making it into space? Priceless."

Ummmm, are you trying to offend the guy? He can't move his face.

[Jacques67 @ Jan 9th 2007 1:56AM]

It's called sarcasm. Chill out.

[Jake Tobak @ Jan 9th 2007 12:48AM]

Can I pay $540 for 20 sec in space?

[tau zero @ Jan 9th 2007 1:04AM]

stephen hawking totally rocks

i hope everything goes well for him

[kdog @ Jan 9th 2007 2:11AM]

I am really happy to see people with
disabilities being given the opportunity to
being involved with space tourism.

[yumyum @ Jan 9th 2007 2:45AM]

Yes. He is a true 'all-around' geek hero.
He managed to have an affair with the wife of the guy who built him that wheelchair computer, which led to his first divorce. How cool is that.

[Ende @ Jan 9th 2007 2:51AM]

I really hope the Virgin galactic will offer 3 min package for the "financially disabled" people like me... why discriminate the different types of disabilities, Mr. Branson?

[Ende @ Jan 9th 2007 2:52AM]

Oops, I didn't mean to say "why".. surely he wouldn't do that awful thing.

[Veritas II @ Jan 9th 2007 4:06AM]

Soon after, it was announced that he will be changing his name to Waldo Jones and be moving permanently into his own space station.

[msapoz1 @ Jan 9th 2007 9:32AM]

HAHAHAAHA OMG That's funny!

[G. Snyder @ Jan 9th 2007 9:47AM]

"The look on the most famous cosmologist's face upon actually making it into space? Priceless."

Ummm...actually he will have the same look as the one in the picture above.

Anyway, you all can do math! Yay! Heatsink - your deductions are the best: "$200,000 for two hours? Thats $100,000 an hour...". Brilliant. What calculator did you use? Was it a graphing one? It is like I am living the sequel to Goodwill Hunting.

[Josh @ Jan 9th 2007 1:48PM]

Yeah, Snyder, try to get that nail removed from your ass before posting anymore. You come off as a real dick.

[glacia00 @ Jan 9th 2007 12:11PM]

I wonder if Fox News will be making fun of him again. They trashed Hawking royally when he first said humans will need to someday look for other planets to live on. It reminded me of the opening scene from 2001 where the primitives were screaming at the obelisk.

[G. Snyder @ Jan 9th 2007 5:15PM]

Perhaps you can lick the nail clean Josh.

[Nathan @ Jan 9th 2007 7:05PM]

I'll wait for the leaked cell phone footage not the press edited fluff footage.

[Leandro Almeida @ Jan 9th 2007 7:51PM]

You guys on Engatget are very funny. Priceless. kakakakaka

[Murc @ Jan 10th 2007 12:14AM]

"The look on the most famous cosmologist's face upon actually making it into space? Priceless."

oooooooooh buuuuuuurn.

(AKA: his face expression wont change...he cant move.)

[Boghos L. Artinian @ Mar 15th 2007 8:12AM]

Before he goes into space, I have this question for him:

The Big Bang Enigma



The expansion velocity of the universe being much slower than the velocity of light, how come our mass has traveled a distance of 13.7 billion light years away from the Big Bang in only that many years?



Boghos L. Artinian MD

[e-mail]



Tallet Zarif Building,

Yacoub Sarrouf Street,

Zarif, 2040 3513

Beirut Lebanon