Stephen Hawking, who sought to explain the origins of the universe and the mysteries of black holes, died on March 14, 2018 aged 76. Ravaged by the wasting motor neuron disease he developed at 21, Hawking was confined to a wheelchair for most of his life. But at the same time he became the world’s most recognisable scientist, having shot to fame after the 1988 publication of A Brief History of Time. On April 26, 2007, Hawking, in an attempt to build awareness of the importance of space exploration, completed a zero-gravity flight in a specially modified plane. In this photo provided by Zero Gravity Corporation, Hawking floated on the jet, grinning the whole time. The plane made a total of eight parabolic dips, including two during which Hawking made two weightless flips like “a goldmedal gymnast,” said Peter Diamandis, chairman, Zero Gravity. “It was amazing... I could have gone on and on... Space, here I come!” BBC quoted Hawking as saying after the flight.
