Space flight just weeks away for Antiguan and her daughter
By Zaya Williams
In just about a month Antiguan astronaut Keisha Schahaff will be zooming off into space with her daughter on a historical flight called Galactic 02.
Schahaff and her 18-year-old daughter Anastasia Mayers will be the first mother-daughter duo to venture to space on Virgin Galactic’s inaugural private astronaut mission on August 10.
In 2021, the former flight attendant won two tickets for a commercial trip to space during a draw that raised $1.7 million in grants for Space for Humanity, a nonprofit focused on expanding access to space.
She gave the second seat on the trip to her daughter, an astrophysics student with a dream of becoming a NASA engineer.
The duo will become the first people from the Caribbean islands to travel to space.
Last month, the future astronaut completed five days of in-person training in New Mexico for her historic trip to space.
This was after she underwent numerous tests to ensure that she is healthy enough for the journey.
Schahaff,46, had to travel to the UK for a full medical examination by a doctor approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as well as many medical records checks.
The training included learning more about the spaceship and how to manoeuvre through the craft without gravity.
Jon Goodwin,80, an Olympian with Parkinson’s disease also won a seat on the rocket.
Goodwin was one of the early ticket holders. He will become the second person with his condition to travel to space.
This story was first published by Antigua News on : antigua.news/2023/07/19/space-flight-just-weeks-away-for-antiguan-and-her-daughter. © 2023 Antigua News. Republication without permission is not allowed.
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