NFL Players Turn Astronauts for a Day As They Go for Zero With Diet Rite and ZERO-G

NFL Players Turn Astronauts for a Day As They Go for Zero With Diet Rite and ZERO-G

Hasselbeck, Plummer, and Kannel Take a Trip to Weightlessness During Pre-Super Bowl Flight in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- How can you bench-press more than 650 pounds of NFL might and muscle with only one arm? When you Go For Zero with Diet Rite and ZERO-G!

On Friday, February 4, 2005, Seahawks' Matt Hasselbeck; and Broncos' Jake Plummer and Danny Kannel -- among others -- will Go For Zero as the first professional athletes to test their might in zero gravity by taking The ZERO-G Experience(TM). For the first time in professional sports, these NFL players will have an opportunity to drop their weight down to zero, perform mid-air flips and spins, soar like Superman, and attempt a friendly scrimmage in conditions that mimic those of Mars or the Moon.

Zero Gravity Corporation (ZERO-G(R)), the first and only FAA-approved weightless flight experience, and Diet Rite, the original and only zero calorie diet soda sweetened with Splenda(R), will turn the brawn and brute of some of the NFL's top players into astronauts for a day by taking them on a trip to weightlessness. As the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles count down to Super Bowl XXXIX, these NFL players are counting down to become the first professional athletes to experience what was once only available to astronauts training for a trip into space.

"We are delighted that Hasselbeck, Plummer, and Kannel will join us in going Go For Zero," said Peter Diamandis, CEO and Cofounder of Zero Gravity Corporation. "ZERO-G's mission is to bring the excitement and adventure of space exploration to the general public in a safe, fun and affordable way. Whether you are a 15-year-old aspiring athlete, or a 300-plus pound linebacker, everyone now has the opportunity to experience the marvel of weightless flight and the thrill of zero."

"Zero never felt or tasted so good," said Randy Gier, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages. "Diet Rite offers a soft drink with zero calories, zero carbs, zero sodium, and zero caffeine with zero compromise on taste. Our partnership with ZERO-G, and this flight, show how the thrill and excitement of zero can be experienced by everyone."

The ZERO-G Experience is a full-day program led by veteran NASA administrators and astronauts. Each Flyer (the customer) experiences Martian (1/3 g), Lunar (1/6 g) and zero-gravity conditions inside a specially modified Boeing 727-200 aircraft, known as G-FORCE ONE, the official plane of ZERO-G. G-FORCE ONE flies in a parabolic flight pattern, similar to a 10,000-foot "roller coaster" at between 22,000 and 32,000 feet (altitude) in the air. The parabolic flight patterns temporarily counteract Earth's gravity, thereby creating prolonged weightlessness giving flyers the opportunity to experience what it feels like to float in space.

The ZERO-G Experience includes a pre-flight training and briefing program, beginning at the Courtyard Jacksonville Airport Northeast, followed by the weightless flight which will take place out of Signature Flight Support, a private airport facility adjoining Jacksonville International Airport. The event will commence at 3:00 PM EST and conclude by 6:00 PM.

Media wishing to fly with the NFL players or attend the ground (pre-flight training) portion of The ZERO-G Experience on Friday, Feb. 4 in Jacksonville, must be cleared in advance.

About Diet Rite

Diet Rite is a smart choice soft drink for a low-carb lifestyle. It is leading growth in the soft drink industry with volume gains of 53 percent in 2004, significantly outpacing the diet soft drink category. Diet Rite is the only nationally distributed diet soft drink sweetened with Splenda and is the only soft drink mentioned by name on http://www.atkins.com/. With seven delicious flavors to choose from, Diet Rite offers zero carbs, zero calories, zero caffeine, zero sodium and zero aspartame, all with zero compromise on taste. For more information, visit http://www.dietrite.com/.

About Zero Gravity Corporation

Zero Gravity Corporation (ZERO-G(R), http://www.nogravity.com/) is a privately held space entertainment and tourism company whose mission is to make the excitement and adventure of space accessible to the public. ZERO-G is the first and only FAA-approved provider of Weightless Flight, and serves the general public (age 15 and over), as well as the entertainment and film industries, corporate and incentive market, non-profit research and education sectors, and government. ZERO-G's aircraft partner is Amerijet International, Inc., the Fort Lauderdale-based cargo transportation and logistics provider. Zero Gravity Corporation is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For more information or to book a flight, visit http://www.nogravity.com/ or call (888) NO-GRAVITY (664-7284). For unique ZERO-G merchandise, including t- shirts, duffel bags, hats and coffee mugs, visit http://www.thespacestore.com/zerogstore.html.

ZERO-G is a strategic partner of Space Adventures, Ltd. Space Adventures is the only company to have successfully launched private explorers to the International Space Station. Through this partnership, Space Adventures and ZERO-G will offer exclusive weightlessness-training for Space Adventures' orbital and suborbital spaceflight clients in the United States.


Source: Zero Gravity Corporation

CONTACT: Cristina Alfaro, Diet Rite/Cadbury-Schweppes America Beverages,
+1-972-673-7814, cristina.alfaro@cs-americas.com; or Rosalie Huerta,
rosalie@msilver-pr.com, or Harrison Liu, harrison@msilver-pr.com, both of M.
Silver Associates Inc., +1-305-533-1111, for Zero Gravity Corporation

Web site: http://www.dietrite.com/
http://www.nogravity.com/
http://www.thespacestore.com/zerogstore.html

NOTE TO EDITORS: Seating available on flight experience for credentialed press attending Super Bowl XXXIX

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