Man proposes on zero-gravity flight

NEW YORK -- Alexander Loucopoulos wasn't afraid he would drop the ring when he proposed to his girlfriend, but he did have another fear.

"I was afraid the ring would float really far away," said Loucopoulos, 32, of New York City.

When he proposed Saturday to Graciela Asturias, a 27-year-old space enthusiast, they were on a 90-minute zero-gravity flight aboard a Boeing 727.

"I asked if she'd marry me, and then the ring just floated in front of her as we floated in zero gravity," he said. She said yes.

"I was so surprised," Asturias said. "I'm in total shock."

The trip cost $3,500 each and was organized by Space Adventures of Virginia, which also arranged for Charles Simonyi's $20 million flight to space in April. Loucopoulos works as a banker in private equity and Asturias is an architect.

"I would like our 10-year anniversary to be in orbit," Loucopoulos said.