Experience Zero Gravity With Stephen Hawking
Item Number: 2004
Time Left: CLOSED
Description
One seat on a weightless flight on April 26, 2007 with Stephen Hawking. Includes admission to dinner and a lecture with Hawking the evening of April 25, 2007. You will also receive a $1000 gift certificate to take a future full flight with Zero G.
British physicist Stephen Hawking, who is world-famous for his intellectual prowess as well as his physical frailty, has made a firm date with weightlessness on April 26, aboard a jet flying out of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Hawking's excellent adventure, provided by California-based Zero Gravity Corp., would represent one small step toward the 65-year-old scientist's goal of flying in space as early as 2009 — as well as one giant leap for people with disabilities.
"As someone who has studied gravity and black holes all of my life, I am excited to experience, firsthand, weightlessness and a zero-gravity environment," Hawking said Thursday in a written statement released by Zero Gravity. "I am thankful to Zero Gravity Corp. for making this experience available to the general public, especially for disabled individuals."The zero-gravity airplane flight produces the feeling of weightlessness for about a half-minute at a time, by following a parabolic up-and-down path at an altitude of 30,000 feet. As the plane crests the top of the parabola, the passengers and other objects in the stripped-down, padded cabin essentially go into free-fall — floating in the air as if they were in orbit.
More than 2,500 fliers have gone on Zero Gravity's aerial roller-coaster ride, usually paying thousands of dollars for the privilege. Hawking, who is almost completely paralyzed due to ALS (a.k.a. Lou Gehrig's disease), would be the first quadriplegic to do so.
For additional details, visit:
http://www.www.gozerog.com
Restrictions: Valid on 4/26/2007 ONLY! Participant must be 15 years old or older. MDA is not liable on account of, or in any way resulting from injuries, losses, and/or damages related to the Zero-G flight, activities conducted in accordance with the flight, and/or the flight’s passengers.
Participant will be required to sign a waiver from ZERO-G absolving all parties of liability for potential injuries, loss or harm which may be incurred. While there are no specific physical restrictions, participant should be in general good health and will be required to fill out forms stating as such.
The winner will need to submit their name upon the conclusion of the auction. Substitution of participants will not be possible.
Professor Hawking’s flight could be cancelled in advance should there be any medical condition (e.g. flu, etc.) which causes his physician to recommend against the flight. In the event that the flight has been cancelled, the auction winners will still have a flight with ZERO-G, and ZERO-G will make every effort to reschedule a future flight with Hawking based upon his medical condition and availability.
Special Instructions
PROXY BIDDING ALLOWED FOR THIS ITEM! The highest online bidder will be contacted for his/her maximum bid for the live event.
Final bidding on this item will be during the LIVE AUCTION at The BASH for Augie's Quest on March 30th. Note that as of 5pm PST on March 29th, the highest online bid will be the STARTING bid at the live event.
If you are the winner after the live event on March 30th, you will receive notification via email. Following e-mail notification of a winning bid, all items will be mailed to the winner and will be postmarked by Friday, April 13th 2007. Actual postage and shipping charges will apply and will be billed to your account.