| Space Adventures, which has arranged | | | | Gravity, during which Hawking |
| orbital space flights for "space | | | | experienced the feeling of |
| tourists" since 2001, is the only firm | | | | weightlessness felt by orbiting |
| to date which brokers space trips for | | | | astronauts was a trial run for a |
| amateur astronauts, including Charles | | | | possible later flight to space. |
| Simonyi and four others who have signed | | | | Hawking's zero-gravity trip was slightly |
| on for the space jaunts. As stated in an | | | | modified to allow for his frail |
| earlier article, Simonyi paid an | | | | condition, with shorter periods of |
| estimated $20 million to $25 million for | | | | weightlessness and a somewhat easier |
| a 13-day trip to the international space | | | | pullout from the planes descent. Four |
| station, with Space Adventures and | | | | doctors and two nurses monitored vital |
| Russia's Federal Space Agency teaming up | | | | signs throughout the flight, and |
| to make the trip possible. | | | | life-saving equipment was on board. The |
| Russia's Interfax News Agency reports | | | | zero-gravity flight was a success, with |
| that Fyodor Yurchikhin, commander of the | | | | Hawking negotiating to take eight turns |
| expedition, and Charles Simonyi | | | | instead of the scheduled six and |
| discussed the possibility that | | | | performing gymnastic turns in the air. |
| billionaire Bill Gates is considering | | | | Hawking expressed hope that his |
| taking his own space trip. Stacy Tearne, | | | | spaceflight would promote commercial |
| spokesperson for Space Adventures, said | | | | space travel, which he believes to be a |
| that Gates had not yet contacted the | | | | necessary next step in mankind's future. |
| company about the possibility of an | | | | He has often expressed the opinion that |
| orbital space flight, but the company | | | | "life on earth is at an ever-increasing |
| already has the next space adventured in | | | | risk of being wiped out by a disaster |
| mind, and an announcement about the next | | | | such as sudden global warming, nuclear |
| client could be coming soon. | | | | war, a genetically engineered virus or |
| Internationally renowned physicist | | | | other danger." Only by involving private |
| Stephen Hawking, known for his | | | | enterprise to make commercial space |
| ground-breaking theories about the | | | | travel possible can a portion of the |
| origin of the universe and black holes, | | | | human race be moved permanently off the |
| has also set a goal of taking a rocket | | | | planet to ensure the survival of the |
| trip to the verge of outer space, | | | | human species in the event of a global |
| possibly on a craft being developed by | | | | disaster on Earth. Space tourists such |
| Virgin Galactic, due to be in service by | | | | as Charles Simonyi, Stephen Hawking and, |
| about 2009. A zero-gravity airplane | | | | possibly, Bill Gates, are helping to |
| flight in April 2007, conducted by Zero | | | | make this dream a reality. |