Astronauts Jean-Francois Clervoy & Pedro Duque Join World Club Dome Zero Gravity Mission

The concept is devised by BigCityBeats, owners of the WORLD CLUB DOME project, with the Zero Gravity event serving as a pre-party to the main 3-day WORLD CLUB DOME event in June.

"I remember my first ZeroG flight during my astronaut training. The feeling of weightlessness is something absolutely unique. A parabolic flight is the only way you can get the feeling of being in space that doesn't involve getting into a rocket. For us astronauts, these flights are really important to get acquainted with the experience of being in orbit." - Pedro Duque, Astronaut, European Space Agency

A ZeroG Airbus A310 (normally reserved for scientific teams and European space agencies) will be converted into a club for the pre-party. International DJs Armin van Buuren, Steve Aoki, W&W and Le Shuuk will be united with 20 competition-winning clubbers from all over the world through the power of music for the 90-minute zero gravity flight. The only way to gain a spot on board was to apply with a 20-second video at http://wcdzerogravity.com.

The application deadline for competition candidates was January 20th, with the winners being announced shortly. Each continent will produce two winners, with additional winners from Germany and India.

"We are happy to welcome BigCityBeats and the ESA to Frankfurt Airport, and are thrilled to be involved in the world's first Zero Gravity club project" - Anke Giesen (Executive Board member for Operations at Fraport AG)

"Every enthusiastic club-music fan, no matter where they are from, has the opportunity to apply to the competition with a chance of experiencing zero gravity with the world's top DJs. We have already converted many extraordinary locations into a club, but this opens up a whole new dimension," says Bernd Breiter, CEO of BigCityBeats.

This once in a lifetime event coincides with the 10th anniversary of the European Space Agency's launch of the Columbus laboratory module, its contribution to the International Space Station (ISS), which has since been made available to scientists from all over the world for experiments in zero gravity. It is the largest single contribution to the International Space Station to date and was the first permanent European research facility in space. "Frankfurt am Main is happy to host this historic Zero Gravity party. I am very proud and grateful to the Breiter family in Frankfurt who have brought a thrilling new side to the city with their BigCityBeats events." - Markus Frank (Economic Affairs Officer and City Council)

As the technology partner for WORLD CLUB DOME, German Telekom is the Virtual Reality Experience partner for the ZeroG event, creating the world's first virtual reality production of a Zero Gravity club event, allowing anyone to "virtually immerse themselves in this unprecedented and unforgettable experience with VR glasses or the combination of a smartphone and a cardboard device" - Michael Hagspihl, Managing Director Telekom Deutschland.

Together with the ESA, Fraport Frankfurt and the City of Frankfurt, BigCityBeats has shown what is possible when the fascination of science meets the joy and fun of entertainment.

A large international media presence is expected at the event, with a press conference taking place after the flight lands. For inquiries about press accreditation and requests to be on-site LIVE, please use the following form: http://getinpr.com/accreditations

BigCityBeats has already announced that its flagship WORLD CLUB DOME event, the "Biggest Club In The World", will return for the sixth time this June 1-3 in Frankfurt. Over three days more than 140,000 visitors will celebrate in a custom-built club stretching over 700,000 square metres in and around the Frankfurt Commerzbank-Arena. With its own forests, pool areas and a dance floor that can accommodate up to 50,000 dancers at the same time, the theme for this year will be "Hollywood Edition". With the Zero Gravity pre-party setting the precedent for the main event, this year's edition is not to be missed!

Keep up to date with WORLD CLUB DOME Zero Gravity here: http://wcdzerogravity.com

And WORLD CLUB DOME here: http://www.worldclubdome.com

About BigCityBeats

The Media & Event Company from Frankfurt has made it its goal to convert extraordinary places into clubs. With BigCityBeats events, people party on cruise ships, in airplanes, in ICE high-speed trains and in stadiums worldwide. They own one of the largest clubber communities in Europe not only through their events, but also through their media networks and radio broadcasts. Its partners and customers include some of the largest brands and companies on the circuit, including Deutsche Bahn, Fraport AG and many more.

About the European Space Agency (ESA)

The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe's gateway to space. The ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe's space capability and ensure that investment in space benefits the citizens of Europe and the world.

The ESA develops the launchers, spacecraft and ground facilities needed to keep Europe at the forefront of global space activities. Today, it develops and launches satellites for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications and astronomy, sends probes to the far reaches of the Solar System and cooperates in the human exploration of space. The ESA also has a strong applications programme developing services in Earth observation, navigation and telecommunications.