Sports Illustrated's Cosmic Appetite: How Kate Upton Twirls in Zero Gravity for the Cover (8 photos)

In pursuit of dwindling print circulation, the iconic Sports Illustrated magazine went so far in 2014 as to literally defy gravity to shoot its star. Busty American model Kate Upton essayed the role of a space diva aboard a modified Boeing 727 from Zero Gravity Corporation. To capture the coveted gravity-free shots, pilots had to create a living hell for the crew at altitude, completing 17 grueling parabolic flights with prolonged freefalls. In those brief seconds of weightlessness, while photographers and makeup artists vomited from the G-forces, Upton, wearing a tiny bikini, expertly portrayed unearthly bliss for the camera. As a result, the editors received their viral photos of flying bathing suits, and readers received further proof of the insane expenditures and technological tricks glossy magazines are willing to go to in order to sell good old objectification in a new package to their male audience.