NEW MEXICO: A rocket plane is all set to fly from New Mexico carrying an 80-year-old British former Olympian, an Aberdeen student Anastatia Mayers and her mother named Keisha Schahaff into space.
Mayers and Schahaff won the tickets to board the Virgin Galactic flight in a competition. Jon Goodwin, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, will become the second person with Parkinson’s disease to go to space.
Goodwin’s inclusion is a testament to the boundary-pushing nature of this mission, seeking to challenge preconceptions and pave the way for new possibilities in space exploration.
This mission serves as a pivotal benchmark in the evolving realm of space tourism. The upcoming launch of the Virgin Galactic 02 flight, scheduled for an opening window at 08:30 local time (15:30 BST), marks the second commercial flight for the company. The inaugural flight in June witnessed Italian Air Force representatives and scientists conducting weightlessness experiments during a 70-minute mission.
The rocket plane’s journey commences aboard a carrier plane named Eve, propelling it through the first leg of its trajectory. Subsequently, the rocket plane will ignite its engine, propelling it to a staggering altitude of 279,000 feet (85 kilometres).
The price tag for a seat on a Virgin Galactic flight has reached as high as $450,000 (£350,000). Goodwin, a seasoned Olympian who participated in the 1972 Olympics as a canoeist, procured his ticket back in 2005 for $250,000. Despite his Parkinson’s diagnosis, he is resolute in his determination to demonstrate that this condition does not define his capabilities.
A small gathering of around 100 individuals will bear witness to Goodwin’s groundbreaking journey into space at a celebratory event organized by Parkinson’s UK in Stoke-on-Trent. The event highlights the power of determination and the willingness to transcend physical limitations.
Keisha Schahaff’s journey from Antigua to the UK initially intended to address her daughter’s visa needs, took an unexpected turn when she entered a competition to secure a spot in the spaceflight. Much to her astonishment, she discovered months later that she and her daughter had won two coveted seats aboard the spacecraft.
“I couldn’t believe it when suddenly, Richard Branson and his entire team walked into my yard,” Schahaff recounted. “They told me I was the winner, and that I was going to space.” Her daughter, Anastatia, will stand as the second youngest person to venture into space. With determination blazing in her eyes, Anastatia aims to inspire others by shattering barriers and defying societal limitations.
The Virgin Galactic flight aims to ascend to the edge of space, reaching approximately 85 kilometres above Earth’s surface. During this momentous journey, passengers will savour a fleeting experience of weightlessness. However, the spacecraft’s velocity will not suffice for a complete orbit around the planet.
The three passengers on this voyage are part of an exclusive list of approximately 800 individuals who have secured tickets for a voyage on the Unity rocket. Many of these aspiring space travellers have waited for over a decade for their moment in the cosmos, and while their aspirations are unwavering, they still face a prolonged wait.
The inception of space tourism dates back to 2001 when US multi-millionaire Dennis Tito embarked on an unprecedented journey as the world’s first space tourist, paying a reported $20 million. In more recent times, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ space company, Blue Origin, achieved the milestone of transporting paying passengers to space, surpassing Virgin Galactic in this remarkable endeavour.
Both Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin assert that their missions contribute to scientific advancement while also catering to the affluent elite. Nevertheless, the domain of space tourism has not escaped scrutiny, with critiques focusing on its high cost and potential environmental impact.
As the second commercial flight for Virgin Galactic draws near, the company and its passengers stand at the forefront of an ever-evolving chapter in human exploration. The eclectic group aboard the rocket plane symbolizes the diversity of human ambition and the relentless pursuit of new frontiers.
