Florida based Zero Gravity Corporation (Zero-G) has recently announced a series of zero gravity concerts. The new initiative allows musicians to perform their top songs with an intimate group of fans, all while floating in zero gravity.
Zero-G is the first and only zero gravity flights provider approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). They not only provide astronaut training and grounds for scientific research, but also corporate incentives, entertainment, TV and film sets and even public flights. Having previously hosted a private zero gravity rave, this is not their first attempt at musical performances. Although the first 3 performances will focus on DJs, rap and pop artists, they plan to eventually support full musical instrument groups in the future after some custom engineering.
Zero gravity concerts offer an unforgettable experience for both the artist and their closest fans. Just imagine Dua Lipa singing ‘Levitating,’ while actually floating in zero gravity. As a musician how do you even begin to top that?
Allison Odyssey, Zero-G COO
The times and places are yet to be determined, but Allison Odyssey, Zero-G’s COO, remarked they “all around the country, so it’s really just a matter of which date and location best suits the artist’s schedule”, revealing that in the search for artists who are “passionate about space” and “looking to push the boundaries of live music” the they are already in touch with some likely candidates. However, they are expecting music groups and artists will be the ones inquiring about collaborating.
“Only a fraction of humanity has ever experienced zero gravity. It’s time to change that”, said Odyssey. “And as the only FAA-approved provider of zero gravity flights in the entire country, we’re in a unique position to make that happen–one flight at a time.”
The company uses a specially modified Boeing 727 G-Force One aircraft that achieves weightlessness by flying aerobatic manoeuvres called parabolas. Specially trained pilots perform these aerobatic manoeuvres, which are not simulated in any way, allowing Zero-G passengers to experience true weightlessness.
G-Force One flies in FAA-designated airspace blocks approximately 100 miles long and 10 miles wide (161 by 16 kilometres). The process starts with the aircraft flying level with the horizon at an altitude of 24,000 feet (7,315 metres). The pilots then gradually increase the angle of the aircraft to about 45° relative to the horizon until reaching an altitude of 32,000 feet (9,753 m). During this phase, passengers feel the pull of 1.8 Gs. Next, the plane pushes over the top of the parabolic arc and the zero-gravity phase begins. For the next 20-30 seconds, everything in the plane is weightless. Finally, the plane gently pulls out of the manoeuvre, allowing flyers to gradually return to the floor of the aircraft.
The manoeuvre is flown 15 times over the course of the flight, each taking about 10 miles (16 km) of airspace to perform. In addition to zero gravity, flyers aboard G-Force One experience Lunar gravity (one sixth your weight), achieved by flying a wider arc over the top of the parabola. On a typical flight, parabolas are flown in sets of three to five, with short periods of level flight between each set.
The Zero-G Experience starts at $9,070 + 5.2% tax per person and includes 15 parabolas, including lunar and zero gravity, Zero-G flight suit, Zero-G merchandise, Flight completion pin and photos and videos of the experience.
