PARIS (REUTERS) - Usain Bolt on Wednesday (Sept 12) sprinted through thin air and sipped champagne floating on his back as he enjoyed near zero-gravity conditions in the back of an aircraft performing stomach-lurching parabola dives.

The eight-time Olympic champion grinned as he experienced weightlessness in a modified plane normally used for scientific research - but on this occasion to showcase a champagne bottle that will allow astronauts to drink bubbles in space.

The bottle was designed by champagne-maker Mumm.

In time, the company hopes to capitalise on the advent of space tourism.

Billionaires Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, Richard Branson and Tesla chief executive Elon Musk are locked in a race to send wealthy tourists into suborbital space, high enough to see the curvature of the planet.

They may want to toast their adventures.