Going to space is literally any person’s dream come true and one doesn’t have to be an astronaut anymore to fulfil that dream. A mother-daughter duo from the Caribbean nation has become one of Virgin Galactic’s first space tourists.
A health coach from the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda has won two tickets worth almost $1 million, the company said Wednesday. This 44-year-old named Keisha Schahaff said she wanted to take the flight into Earth’s orbit with her 17-year-old daughter who is a science student living in Britain.
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She also mentioned how her daughter wants to work with NASA.
The founder of Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson surprised Schahaff with the news at her home in Antigua and Barbuda in early November.
“I just thought I was doing a zoom interview. When I saw Richard Branson walking in I just started screaming! I couldn’t believe it. I always was interested in space as a little girl. This is a great opportunity for me to feel alive and to just make the greatest adventure ever,” she told AFP.
Schahaff won the prize after entering a fundraiser lottery organized by Virgin Galactic on the Omaze platform, which raised $1.7 million.
The money will be donated to the NGO Space for Humanity, which works for wider access to space.
The amount she donated was not made public. However, the entry started with a minimum contribution of $10.
Schahaff who is a health and energy coach who works in particular with women decided to take try her luck at the prize after seeing an advertisement on a Virgin Atlantic flight. “I just filled out the application, did what was required… not realizing that I would have actually gotten a response to it,” she said.
“I’m very encouraged to inspire others to also live their dream.”
According to the statement given by Virgin Galactic, the drive attracted nearly 165,000 participants in eight weeks.
“Being able to give people of all ages and backgrounds equal access to space, and in turn, the opportunity to lead and inspire others back on Earth, is what Virgin Galactic has been building towards for the past two decades,” said Branson.”
The company has already pre-sold some 700 space tickets: 600 between 2005 and 2014 for up to $250,000 apiece, and another 100 since August when they were relisted for a price of $450,000.
Their aim is to sell 1,000 in total before the launch of commercial flights, the first of which is to take place in late 2022.
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