The professor stephen hawking, one of the most famous minds, is known for his work on the mysteries of gravity, and he will probably soon see the biggest dream of his life come true. According to the famous scientist, he is going to travel to space!
In an interview he gave to Piers Morgan on ITV's Good Morning Britain, Hawking said:
"My ultimate ambition is to fly into space. I thought no one would take me, but Richard Branson offered me a position at Virgin Galactic, and I said yes immediately.”
Credit: Jim Campbell/Aero-News Network – TNW
The fact is particularly remarkable for everyone, and especially for Stephen Hawking, who suffers from ALS, a disease that keeps him immobile longer than 40 years. The scientist, as you know, is constantly seated on a specially designed wheelchair and communicates using a text-to-speech system that he controls by using a sensor activated by a muscle on his cheek.
You can watch the part of the interview in the following video (starts at 9: 05):
Although it will be Hawking's first time traveling in space, it is not the first time he has been in a zero-gravity environment. In 2007 he tested the conditions zeroof gravity on a specially modified Boeing 727-200 aircraft.
Sir Richard Branson, who founded Virgin Galactic, reported from 2015 that he hopes to be able to take Stephen Hawking into space, and that he is offering him a free ticket which he could use if his health permits.
Let's mention that a flight on Virgin Galactic's eight-seater SpaceShipTwo will cost $250.000 and that to date there are 700 interested parties waiting for a place on one trip. According to Forbes, SpaceShipTwo could launch as early as late 2017, but Virgin Galactic says it won't be carrying space tourists.