Michael DePetrillo, a 24year-old Tulane University Law School student and Amityville resident feels like a heavy weight has been lifted, but not just from his shoulders.

During a recent Zero-Gravity flight, DePetrillo floated around the cabin of a modified Boeing 727200 aircraft, chasing water droplets and flying like a super hero, according to Space Adventures, Ltd., the world's leading space experiences company.

"I will never forget the first time I began floating," said DePetrillo. "Everyone instantly became a child again, just amazed by the feeling. I would definitely say that the whole experience helped to relieve stress from a hectic semester. It was an awesome getaway from both the intense studying and overall events since Hurricane Katrina."

DePetrillo, who learned of Space Adventures' Zero-Gravity flights through his American Express Membership Rewards Program, experienced the same conditions as walking on the Moon and Mars as the aircraft performed a series of parabolic maneuvers. The airplane begins from level flight and pitches up to approximately 45 degrees. At that point, the passengers experience 2 Gs of force on the ascent and depending on the flight pattern, various gravities on the descent, including zero,

lunar and martian. Each parabola requires a block of airspace from about 25,000 to 35,000 feet. Passengers obtain approximately 28 to 30 seconds of microgravity or zero-gravity during each parabola. There are usually up to 12 parabolas per flight.