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Posted by Andrew Yee on February 14, 2008, 6:11 pm
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Michael Mewhinney
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. Feb. 14, 2008
650-604-3937/207-1323
Noah McMahon
Zero Gravity Corporation, Las Vegas
714-856-6624
RELEASE: 08-13AR
NASA'S AMES ENABLES COMMERCIAL WEIGHTLESS AIRCRAFT FLIGHTS
MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- Commercial, weightless flights will be
offered this weekend at Moffett Field, Calif., under the terms of an
agreement with the Zero Gravity Corp, Las Vegas. Although
corporation officials said the first flight scheduled Saturday, Feb.
16 is already sold out, additional flights will be scheduled later
this year.
"We're delighted to have signed this historic agreement with ZERO-G,"
said Ames Director S. Pete Worden. "This will further NASA's goal of
pursuing mutually beneficial partnerships with the emerging
commercial space sector."
A Reimbursable Space Act Agreement between NASA's Ames and the
corporation, known as ZERO-G, allows the corporation to park its
aircraft on the airfield while flight operations are being conducted
and during scheduled flights. The agreement also calls for NASA and
ZERO-G to develop research collaborations starting this fall.
During its flight operations at NASA's Ames, ZERO-G will use a
modified Boeing 727-200 aircraft, called G-Force One, and fly from
the Moffett Field runway. Passengers aboard the aircraft will
experience brief periods of the same weightlessness that astronauts
encounter while orbiting the Earth, as well as the same gravity
conditions they would experience on the moon and on Mars.
"We are honored to be able to fly from Moffett Field and allow our
passenger the opportunity to fly like superman and float in midair
just like NASA astronauts from an actual NASA center," said Peter H.
Diamandis, chairman of ZERO-G. ZERO-G was recently awarded a
contract from NASA to conduct research and astronaut training.
While new to NASA's Ames, this is not the first time that these
weightless flights have taken place at a NASA center. In 2006,
ZERO-G reached an agreement with NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla.,
to use the space shuttle runway for similar weightless flights for
the public. ZERO-G began operating weightless flights for the public
at Kennedy June 24, 2006, flying up to seven flights per week, up to
a maximum of 280 flights a year.
As part of the agreement, the corporation will reimburse NASA for the
use of the runway and support costs.
The scheduling of ZERO-G flights at Moffett Field will not interfere
with NASA missions, other resident federal agencies, or with airfield
operations or other activities. All flights will be conducted during
daylight hours, according to ZERO-G officials. The Boeing 727-200 is
a Stage 3 aircraft, which is one of the quietest aircraft in service.
For more information about ZERO-G, call 800-937-6480 or visit:
http://www.GoZeroG.com
For more information on NASA programs, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov
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