Great Lakes Science Center Hosts “Out-of-This-World” Educational Weightless Flights by Zero Gravity Corporation
ZERO-G to Blast Off With Teachers From Cleveland Metropolitan School District for Professional Development Program to Help Inspire Students Departing From Cleveland’s Burke Lakefront Airport on September 26
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:
For More Information:
Tom Dietz
Kirvin Doak Communications
702-737-3100
Jeff Hirz
Marketing Coordinator
Great Lakes Science Center
(440) 781-3469
