Physorg:
The acclaimed British physicist Professor Stephen Hawking is planning a flight into space, a newspaper reported, in an interview to mark his 65th birthday.

"This year I'm planning a zero-gravity flight and to go into space in 2009," the scientist, who is most famous for his 1988 international best-seller "A Brief History of Time", told The Daily Telegraph newspaper.

A "zero-gravity flight" is one in which an aeroplane flies in such a way as to render its passengers temporarily weightless, mimicking the conditions in space. 

Hawking's trip outside the earth's atmosphere depends on the progress of British tycoon Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic space tourism programme, which aims to carry passengers into low-Earth orbit from next year.

The Daily Telegraph said Sir Richard will sponsor Hawking's mission, waiving the estimated flight cost of 100,000 pounds (148,000 euros, 193,000 dollars)...Read more