Zero Gravity Corporation (also known as Zero-G) is an American company based in Exploration Park, Florida, formerly of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which operates weightless flights from United States airports. Zero-G is governed under Part 121 of FAA regulations (as are all US commercial passenger and cargo airlines) enabling the company to cater to both tourists and researchers alike. Zero-G is operated by Everts Air Cargo who holds the 121 certificate.
Founded by entrepreneur Peter Diamandis, astronaut Byron K. Lichtenberg, and NASA engineer Ray Cronise, the company has been operating weightless flights since 2004. Over 15000 were clients as of November 2017.[1][2] A number of notable passengers have been on weightless flights run by the company, including Penn Jillette[3] and Teller,[4] Martha Stewart, Burt Rutan, Buzz Aldrin, Casey Neistat, John Carmack, and Tony Hawk. Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking also completed a shortened flight on April 26, 2007.[5][6]
In April 2006, Zero-G became the first commercial company to gain permission from the Kennedy Space Center to use its space shuttle runway and landing facilities.[2] On April 21, 2007, it began regular flights from Las Vegas for the general public[7] at ticket prices of US$3,675. Good Morning America aired promotional footage[8] featuring the show's weatherman Sam Champion during a preview flight in Ohio.[9] On December 9, 2007, Zero G hosted Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman of MythBusters to disprove the conspiracy theory that the Apollo Moon landing was a hoax.
In March 2008, the company was acquired by Space Adventures.[10]
On April 20, 2011, a Safety Approval was granted to Zero-G by the FAA which allows the company to "...offer reduced gravity parabolic flights to prospective suborbital launch operators to meet the applicable components of the crew qualification and training requirements outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations (14 C.F.R., Section 460.5)."[11]
Add new comment