Second Zero-G Parabolic Flight Announced by AstroAccess

AstroAccess and Space Frontier Foundation will facilitate a second Zero-G parabolic flight for a group of Disability Ambassadors this coming November. During the parabolic flight, the Ambassadors experience weightlessness and investigate microgravity accessibility solutions to make space travel accessible to everybody. This follows the historic inaugural flight of twelve Disability Ambassadors in October 2021.

“I am thrilled to be working with AstroAccess and encourage others to join me in supporting its vital mission to make space exploration accessible for everyone.”

Dylan Taylor.

The flight costs have been sponsored through a generous philanthropic donation from Dylan Taylor, a pioneer and visionary in the space exploration industry. Taylor supported AstroAccess as part of his Buy One, Give One pledge when he flew aboard the commercial Blue Origin New Shepard Mission NS-19 flight last December. The Buy One, Give One pledge is a call for all commercial astronauts to consider a set of gifts that will pay it forward and support organizations here on Earth. “I am thrilled to be working with AstroAccess and encourage others to join me in supporting its vital mission to make space exploration accessible for everyone,” Taylor said.

The AstroAccess Ambassadors on the second Zero-G parabolic flight will experience weightlessness akin to being on the moon, Mars, and in zero gravity. The goal of the flight experiments conducted during different simulated gravity situations is to investigate how the environment aboard space vessels can be best designed to create an equitable and inclusive experience - allowing anyone, regardless of their disability, to live, work, and thrive in space.

In addition to his support of this mission, Taylor supported four other organizations: Edesia Nutrition, The Brooke Owens Fellowship, The Patti Grace Smith Fellowship, and Space for Humanity.

“We are so excited to make our official announcement of AstroAccess Flight 2 - our second fully chartered Zero-G flight,” says Anna Voelker, Executive Director of AstroAccess and SciAccess, Inc. “We are incredibly grateful to Dylan for helping make this possible while also championing an incredible pledge that we hope others will follow.”

“This partnership demands accessibility and inclusivity in the space industry,” said Ann Kapusta, Executive Director of Space Frontier Foundation. “I am honored to, once again, work with AstroAccess and help establish a future for humanity in space that is inclusive and allows us to build a freer and more prosperous future among the stars—one that is representative of the diversity and richness of planet Earth, inclusive of the 15% of the global population with a disability.”

AstroAccess Flight 2 is expected to fly a combination of new and previous Ambassadors on its upcoming flight in November. Ambassador candidates interested in being considered as Disabled Researchers on Flight 2 are encouraged to submit their application through the AstroAccess website.

(Source: Space Frontier Foundation news release. Image provided by AstroAccess)