CLEVELAND, OH--(Marketwire - September 3, 2009) - Zero Gravity Corporation (ZERO-G®), the
first and only FAA-approved provider of commercial weightless flights, will
host its exclusive ZERO-G Weightless Experience in Cleveland, Ohio on
Saturday, September 26 with Great Lakes Science Center. ZERO-G will present
its one-of-a-kind adventure for the educators of Northern Ohio.
Eighth-grade teachers from Cleveland Metropolitan School District and
select area school districts will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to
fly with ZERO-G and attend professional development workshops. The
workshops will prepare educators to bring unique experiments onboard
G-FORCE ONE, ZERO-G's specially modified Boeing 727-200 aircraft.
ZERO-G is proud to partner with Great Lakes Science Center to inspire
students, stimulate interest in and increase understanding of the sciences,
particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM). The participating school teachers will obtain
meaningful resources to use year after year, and will be able to share the
curriculum and videos with fellow educators. By creating this microgravity
education program, Great Lakes Science Center and ZERO-G will be providing
unparalleled opportunities to teachers and students throughout Cleveland.
"We're proud to partner with ZERO-G to provide such a great educational and
exhilarating opportunity to greater Cleveland's educators," said Linda
Abraham-Silver, president and CEO of Great Lakes Science Center. "This is
such a unique and truly once-in-a-lifetime experience that teachers will be
able to bring back to the classroom and share with their students."
The program utilizes hands-on science workshops and ZERO-G's unique
weightless flight to help educators teach students to share the fun and
excitement of STEM. Since 2005, ZERO-G's educational programs have trained
and flown over 1,500 teachers representing 48 states and 22 countries.
The workshops, held at the Science Center, will give teachers instruction
in science, math and engineering concepts. They will also receive
pre-flight training in weightlessness and tips on experiment design and
demonstration to learn how to work in lunar, Martian and zero gravity
environments. Teachers will also learn how to relate their experiments to
STEM curriculum development. ZERO-G and Great Lakes Science Center are
honored to present this opportunity as the most extreme, hands-on learning
experience made available to select members of Ohio's respected educators.
Great Lakes Science Center is also partnering with ideastream to bring this
experience outside of the airplane and share it with the world. Dante
Centuori, the Science Center's director of education, will be on the flight
to perform different experiments and see how they change when done in a
weightless environment. Ideastream will film the experiments and post them
on their Web site at
http://www.wviz.org/.
The experience offered by ZERO-G is the only commercial opportunity on
Earth for individuals to experience true "weightlessness" without going to
space. 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." G-FORCE ONE will depart from Cleveland's Burke Lakefront
Airport. To book a seat with ZERO-G, please visit
www.gozerog.com
Each ZERO-G mission is designed for maximum fun. The aircraft's interior is
a zero gravity playroom, complete with padded floors and walls and video
cameras to record the unforgettable moments. When experiencing zero
gravity, guests can fly the length of an airplane cabin like superman, flip
like an Olympic gymnast, pour water in the air and watch the droplets hover
before their eyes, release a handful of M&M's and chase them down like a
game of human Pac-Man, 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!
ZERO-G guests will receive:
-- Pre-flight training to maximize their ZERO-G Experience
-- Private transportation to/from Burke Lakefront Airport
-- ZERO-G flight suit
-- 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
Weightless flight is a rare, unique opportunity to experience the total
absence of gravity. Buzz Aldrin, Professor Stephen Hawking, Burt Rutan,
Princess Beatrice of York, Martha Stewart, Joey Fatone, Rob Dyrdek, Billy
Bush, Amy Grant, Miles O'Brien, 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.
Flights last approximately two hours and deliver 15 separate weightless
experiences, each lasting about 30 seconds. This is twice the amount of
weightless time achieved in a typical sub-orbital flight into space. The
ZERO-G Experience is offered at a price of $4,950 per seat plus tax. For
more information, or to see pictures and video of the experience, visit
www.gozerog.com.
About Great Lakes Science Center
The Great Lakes Science Center is one of the nation's leading science and
technology centers, featuring hundreds of hands-on exhibits, themed
traveling exhibits, daily demonstrations, the awe-inspiring OMNIMAX®
Theater and the Steamship William G. Mather. The Science Center is open
daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with discounted parking available for guests in the
attached 500-car garage. The Great Lakes Science Center is generously
funded by the citizens of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and
Culture. For more information, contact the Science Center at (216) 694-2000
or visit
www.GreatScience.com
About ZERO-G
Zero Gravity Corporation is a privately held space entertainment and
tourism company whose mission is to make the excitement and adventure of
weightlessness accessible to the public. ZERO-G is the first and only
FAA-approved provider of weightless flight to the general public, as well
as the entertainment and film industries; corporate and incentive market;
non-profit research and education sectors; and government.
Founded in 1993, ZERO-G is led by a world-class team of veteran astronauts
and experienced business leaders. The company was co-founded by X PRIZE
Chairman and space visionary, Dr. Peter H. Diamandis; veteran astronaut,
Dr. Byron K. Lichtenberg, and NASA Engineer Ray Cronise. The team spent
more than a decade working to bring the marvel of weightless flight to the
public.
Since launching the ZERO-G Experience in September 2004, the company has
conducted more than 175 weightless flights and flown over 5,000 members of
the public, including celebrities and media personalities, corporate
charters, science and math teachers, and individuals age eight to 93.
ZERO-G operates under the highest safety standards as set by the FAA
(Part-121) with its partner Amerijet International of Ft. Lauderdale,
Florida. Aircraft operations take place under the same regulations set for
large commercial passenger airliners.
Contact Information: For More Information:
Tom Dietz
Kirvin Doak Communications
702-737-3100
Jeff Hirz
Marketing Coordinator
Great Lakes Science Center
(440) 781-3469