Lufthansa Technik delivers new Zero-G aircraft back to Novespace

Having arrived in Hamburg as a former German government aircraft, this very special Airbus A310 has now left Hamburg again in a completely new role. Lufthansa Technik AG has delivered the new Zero-G aircraft to its French owner Novespace following extensive modifications. The former 10+21 „Konrad Adenauer“ bearing the registration F-WNOV will operate in the future as a parabolic aircraft in the name of space exploration and technology – in true reflection of the spirit of Franco/German friendship.

Some 1,300 modifications were required in the framework of the conversion program in order to convert the aircraft back to its original factory default state as required by the European aviation authority EASA. The cabin refit then commenced, with the approx. 20 meter long „test area“ proving particularly challenging.

This is the area where prospective astronauts will be able in the future to experience weightlessness for the first time, for example, or where scientific investigations will take place. Extra powerful light installations were required in particular for this purpose, with care being taken to ensure that these would not pose a hazard for the „weightless“ passengers. Novespace will use the aircraft from its home airport in Bordeaux from May.

The German Aerospace Center uses the converted Airbus A310 for zero-gravity research.

The new Zero-G aircraft from Novespace was already the third so-called „Special Mission Aircraft“ in a row for Lufthansa Technik. Before this, the SOFIA airborne observatory, a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), had been in Hamburg for several months for a major overhaul. And Lufthansa Technik also converted a Lufthansa Airbus A340-300 on behalf of the Federal German Government to an evacuation aircraft for highly contagious Ebola patients in the shortest possible time.

Link to parabolic flights video (source: DLR):
http://filmarchivvopr.dlr.de/de/content/parabelfl%C3%BCge-2014-2