Stephen Hawking's going Zero-G on April 16th

It's not quite a ride on Branson's Virgin Galactic but Stephen Hawking is finally getting his chance to leave terra firma. The world famous theoretical physicist has hitched a ride with Zero-G on April 16th. The specially modified 727-200 will take off from the Shuttle Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The craft will perform a number of parabolic maneuvers in flight to create a Mars-like, moon-like, and zero-g gravity experience -- a flight lasting 90 minutes in total. A brief history of time, indeed. [Warning: PDF link]

[Via The Inquirer]

[angelsvairwaves1 @ Apr 4th 2007 4:06PM]

Oh my goodness mister, what do you think.... hahah just kidding. good one.

[Mickey Jones @ Apr 4th 2007 9:53AM]

Yeah, Steve gets to ride the vomit comet.

A new picture might be in order here. Check out the IBM "Personal Micro Computer" in the backround.

[Rohit Kapur @ Apr 4th 2007 10:11AM]

That's great. I really hope it works out for Stephen. He's given enough to the physics world, and he's had a tough life. He deserves this.

Plus, 16'th April is my dad's birthday! It's bound to be a good day! ;-)

[Elliott @ Apr 4th 2007 3:13PM]

April 16 is also my birthday. 2x good!

[ob1 @ Apr 4th 2007 5:31PM]

My Birthday is the 17th! It's an early gift for me, nothing to do with you two.

[NHAnimator @ Apr 4th 2007 10:12AM]

If anyone deserves it, he does. Good for Mr. Hawking.

[Ian Jardine @ Apr 4th 2007 10:20AM]

Great stuff for this amazing guy.

[strider_mt2k @ Apr 4th 2007 10:30AM]

Go!
I wish I could!

[fustanella @ Apr 4th 2007 10:43AM]

This is so on my list to do, and it's only 45 mins away. Just need to scrape up the $4k to make it happen. Microgravity FTW!

[NHAnimator @ Apr 4th 2007 11:26AM]

It's only 45 minutes away from everybody - straight up!

[fustanella @ Apr 11th 2007 8:30AM]

NHA, that made my morning - thank you!

[surfwax95 @ Apr 4th 2007 11:09AM]

Handicapable.

[somebody @ Apr 4th 2007 12:06PM]

I've done zero g before It's real fun, just hope someone's there to stop him from hitting the ceiling, lol.

[Dave @ Apr 4th 2007 12:33PM]

YAY!

[JoshLowry @ Apr 4th 2007 1:17PM]

What an excellent excuse to add ion thrusters to the wheelchair!


- Josh
http://www.stateofbrain.com

[xpankrat @ Apr 4th 2007 3:35PM]

Go, Stephen, go ! This is totally awesome :)

[Josh @ Apr 4th 2007 5:22PM]

someone does get to go w/ him
http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=*starlightstarbright*

[Josh @ Apr 4th 2007 5:23PM]

oh, and to add to that it's on the 26th not the 16th

[JoeBob @ Apr 4th 2007 6:53PM]

I'm not sure which I'd enjoy more. The good side in my wants to see the look on his face as he starts to float around. The not-so-good side wants to hear his voice synthesizer saying, "Holy Sh*t!"

[Cheeks @ Apr 4th 2007 8:53PM]

It IS my bithday. What a great gift to get. Don't worry I'll share it. :)

[Josh @ Apr 4th 2007 10:20PM]

"oh, and to add to that it's on the 26th not the 16th"

[tau zero @ Apr 4th 2007 9:25PM]

stephen hawking rocks!

i hope verythign goes well for him

[James Taylor @ Apr 5th 2007 1:43AM]

Neither Mars nor the Moon are zero gravity. :)

[crzyjamaican46 @ Apr 5th 2007 2:13AM]

The Sharper Image will begin selling tickets for these rides in all 186 of their high end retail stores as well as online and thru customer service inatarting in may.

[garbuhj @ Apr 5th 2007 5:20AM]

Yes, he's an amazing physicist.
Yes, he's advanced human knowledge considerably.
Yes, he's lived a very difficult life.
Yes, he definitely deserves a ride into simulated zero G.

BUT, he's no angle like some of you are making him out to be, he wasn't always mister nice guy.

[garbuhj @ Apr 5th 2007 5:22AM]

I meant angel, not angle. Freudian slip?

[the worm @ Apr 5th 2007 9:37PM]

"wormhole research"
http://kenyonb.com/buy_p003-wormhole.html

hahahaha

[Ben Maulis @ Apr 26th 2007 6:43PM]

Stephen makes some pretty far-out comments in his interview with NBC and elsewhere. He says he believes life on earth is at ever-increasing risk and that permanent escape of some people from the planet is imperative. Re-read Stephens own comments. They are both "far out there" and rational at the same time.

It is hard to imagine the condition of the planet being more hostile to life than space, but we know that is has been before.

"By the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished."

According to the Word of God, man may well escape the planet, but the coming judgment will destroy both the heavens and the earth.

"The heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."

Amen, Amen, "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."

Yes, man may well escape Earth, but, "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?"

The Word of God tells us that he “has appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness.” What about you? Are you ready for that day? Whether you are ready or not, you can be assured that, “it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment.”

See Publicly
Preaching the Judgment of Christ