First Flight of Space Tourism Today: Mother and Daughter Among Passengers Winning Free Tickets
Richard Branson’s firm Virgin Galactic will finally send its first paying passenger to space today, bringing a nearly two-decade-long wait to an end.
The ‘Galactic 02’ mission will send a crew of six into orbit – including three tourists – aboard the VSS Unity spaceplane when it blasts off from New Mexico later.
The tourists are retired British Olympian Jon Goodwin, 80, who paid $250,000 (£191,000) for his ticket to space back in 2005.
There’s also Antiguan mother and daughter duo Keisha Schahaff, 46, and Anastatia Mayers, 18, who won free tickets for the once-in-a-lifetime commercial trip.
They join three crew members on the spaceplane, which will reach over 50 miles (80.5 km) above sea level for passengers to enjoy incredible views of Earth.
Virgin Galactic, which was founded by Branson back in 2004, confirmed the launch window for the flight will open at 9 am local time.
The official livestream of the mission will be live on the company’s website and YouTube channel.
‘The future of space travel has arrived,’ the company says on its website.
‘Livestream countdown will begin just before the spaceship release.’
Today’s historic Galactic 02 mission will have six people on board, including three Virgin Galactic employees – Commander Frederick Sturckow, Pilot Kelly Latimer, and Astronaut instructor Beth Moses.
One of the three tourists is retired British Olympian Jon Goodwin, the first Olympian to travel to space, having competed in the 1972 Munich Games as a slalom canoeist.
Goodwin – who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2014 – receives his trip 18 years after reportedly spending $250,000 (£194,500) to secure his seat.
Since his diagnosis he has been dedicated to raising awareness for Parkinson’s and the importance of research into finding a cure – and hopes that taking part in this mission will help shine a spotlight on the condition.
The other two tourists making up the team are mother-daughter duo from Antigua, Keisha Schahaff and Anastasia Mayers.
At 18, she will be the second youngest person to travel to space, following Oliver Daemen, who flew aboard a Blue Origin rocket at 18 in July 2021
Mother Keisha, who said she is ‘not nervous at all’ about the trip, won a sweepstakes with Omaze, a US for-profit fundraising company, for the once-in-a-lifetime commercial trip.
Daughter Anastasia is studying philosophy and physics at Aberdeen University and wants to become an astrobiologist.
Source: First Flight of Space Tourism Today: Mother and Daughter Among Passengers Winning Free Tickets