the Way the Astronauts Train

So, I always wanted to go to space. It’s true. Ever since I was a kid, I thought it would be cool to live and work in space. Of course, I expected to be doing it about the time I hit college, some years ago. But, life hasn’t dished that experience out to me. Yet.  I continue to hope that before I get too old to go to space, somebody will figure out a way to send science writer types like me with a zest for space out for a ride… so I can see the curvature of Earth and gaze into infinity without  the hindrance of the atmosphere.

Until I get to have that experience, it looks like the first step is to take a trip on a “Vomit Comet” like the folks at BoingBoingTV did a while back in an episode called “Floating in Zero Gravity is fun, Earthlings!” BBTV’s Xeni Jardin (who signs herself as Tech Culture Journalist and Curator of Internet Esoterica, Anomalies, and Curiosities) went with a group of friends on a Zero-G weightless flight to find out what it’s like to experience what the astronauts do.

Check out their video called Floating in Zero Gravity. It shows a bunch of people having a great time in weightlessness, and comes complete with flying teachers, a blogger, a corporate chairman, a flying robot and a film crew. There are also references to barfing, a lot of smiles and laughter, body surfing, somersaults, and the appearance of a mysterious pink flying pig!  Looks like my kinda crowd. Check it out!

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