Aerospace company Swiss Space Systems (S3) announces the completion of its Airbus A340-300 acquisition to commercially operate ZeroG flights in 2016 and 2017. These parabolic flights will offer an experience of weightlessness similar to what astronauts feel during a space flight at affordable prizes.
The flight control system of the Airbus A340-300 relies on fly-by-wire technology. This feature will provide an unprecedented accuracy to the flight parabolas, allowing The Swiss Space Systems (S3) to become a world leader in the field of high-precision microgravity services.
The aircraft will accommodate around 70 passengers for a 90-minute-flight, for a total of 15 parabolas. Each parabola will provide 20 to 25 seconds of weightlessness. The S3 ZeroG aircraft will also provide a platform for high-precision microgravity experiments. The targeted customers will be institutional (space agencies, universities, among others) or private companies conducting research in the aerospace industry.
In this project, S3 aims at providing the public at large with an opportunity to experience this unique feeling, by offering ZeroG flights at the most affordable prices ever made available world-wide. Premium and VIP zone customers will be awarded an exclusive S3 watch branded by one of the most prestigious Swiss watchmakers, making their ZeroG experience on-board even more exclusive.
Pascal Jaussi, Founder and CEO of Swiss Space Systems, declared: "Our ultimate vision is to democratize access to space, through our reusable launcher program. Well before our launcher becomes a reality, the ZeroG experience onboard our Airbus aircraft will offer each and every one an opportunity to become an astronaut for a day.
A world Premier: the ZeroG project
The commercial operation of ZeroG flights under the status of an airline company will be a world premiere. S3 will be supported by Hi Fly, a Portugal-based airline company operating a fleet of long haul aircraft worldwide, in the operational (CAMO - Continuing Airworthiness Management Organization) and regulatory domains (AOC - Air Operator Certificate). Paulo Mirpuri, President and CEO of Hi Fly added: "Our Company is most honoured to have been selected by S3 and is delighted to participate in the ZeroG project. Innovation, quality and safety are part of Hi Fly DNA, and this has played an important role in this joint venture. We really look forward to take this project on to the next level."
About S3
The 2011 founded private Swiss space company S3 develops shuttles for the deployment of satellites. The company combines and supervises the activities of its daughter companies in Switzerland, Spain, Croatia and the USA. The objective of the S3 group is to develop, build, certify, and operate suborbital shuttles for the deployment of satellites up to 250 kg.
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