Hamilton completes astronaut flight training for potential space flight
Ferrari-bound seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has recently completed an astronaut flight training, when he experienced the lateral G-forces that astronauts are exposed to during accelerations and decelerations.
As Lewis Hamilton is finally completing his exit from Mercedes and his partnership with IWC Schaffhausen set to come to an end, the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer, which has been a sponsor of the German car manufacturer since 2013, made Hamilton's childhood dream a reality.
The seven-time world champion embarked on a flight training for astronauts, wearing a unique race suit – featuring a dedicated ‘space mission’ patch with his starting number 44.
The 105-time F1 race winner was put through the same training used to prepare the Inspiration 4 and Polaris Dawn crew for commercial spaceflight missions.
John “Slick” Baum, Philanthropy Director at Polaris and Hamilton practiced accelerations and decelerations to experience lateral G forces, which lasted almost one hour, simulating the ascent of a rocket as well as higher G loads by banking or pitching the aircraft hard.
A highlight was flying a parabola figure for a zero-g demonstration, during which Lewis Hamilton briefly experienced the feeling of weightlessness. During the flight, the seven-time F1 world champion pulled a maximum of 7.5 G, which is more than astronauts typically experience on ascent.
Drawing a comparison between flying the plane and Formula 1, Hamilton observed that "it’s very different to F1, the blood never leaves your head. When you’re turning the plane, you feel the blood leaving your body, your chest gets heavy and it’s hard to breathe."
Joining him to watch this incredible journey, children from Dibia Dream social STEM education programs were reminded that if you train hard, stay focused and work with dedication, you can become anything you want in life and achieve great things.
Their presence served as a reminder of Hamilton’s incredible journey, from his humble upbringing in karting to becoming one of the most acclaimed drivers in the history of motorsport.
Reflecting on his day, the Ferrari-bound driver reckoned that he always dreamed of becoming a racing driver or an astronaut.
"As a kid, there were a couple things that I wanted to be: either an astronaut or a racing driver. My love of space has only grown since I was a kid and I was just always fascinated about the moon landings.
"I've watched online so many of the launches. I'm fascinated with what's out there because I mean I love flying since a kid, [I love] just anything with an engine.
"I've been into on a day like today, it's like living that other bit of a dream just a reminder just how lucky I am you know like I get to have so many great experiences. It's it's epic.
