But Hawking has never let his disease get in the way of incredible achievements, be it in science, writing, even having two marriages, fathering three children and now being a grandfather.

So it should come as no surprise that Hawking wants to experience zero gravity, with gravity being but one of Hawking’s scientific specialties. He will be doing this with the Zero Gravity Corp., a company that uses a modified Boeing 727 jet to take passengers to an 30,000-foot altitude on what are sometimes known as parabolic ‘vomit comet’ flights, where passengers can experience both the feeling of being heavier than normal, and then weightless for up to a minute, with the flight also known to cause feelings of nausea in some.

Hawking will make this flight on April 26 from the Kennedy Space Center after much consultation with doctors to ensure Hawking’s safety during the flight. This is crucial, after all, not only because we all want to see Hawking back safely on the ground afterwards, but because is due to fly in Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic ‘SpaceShip Two’ in 2009, where he will have the opportunity to experience the incredible sensation of weightlessness in zero gravity once more.

According to Reuters, Hawking said in a written statement that “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. I am thankful to Zero Gravity Corp. for making this experience available to the general public, especially for disabled individuals.”

The flights normally cost US $3,500 plus taxes, with over 2,500 paying passengers already having taken the trip. The flight is being paid for by Space Florida, a company owned by the Florida state government. Hawking will be accompanied by Zero Gravity Corp. Founder Peter Diamandis, along with assistants and medical equipment.
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