First Mother Daughter Space Travelers: Keisha Schahaff, along with her daughter Anastasia Mayers, became the first Caribbean people to go into space when Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity spacecraft lifted off from the New Mexico Space Field on Thursday, August 10. Virgin Galactic, the space travel company founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, has finally sent its first space travelers after decades of promises. The spacecraft, attached to a massive twin hull, had three customers, including Keisha Schahaff and her daughter Anastatia Mayers, who won their spot in a fundraising competition.
It was also former Olympic champion Jon Goodwin who competed as a rower at the 1972 Munich Summer Games.
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The trip was the company’s seventh space flight, the second commercial space flight. It was also the first departure of private passengers. The research trip is expected to last at least 90 minutes. Keisha Schahaff is an entrepreneur and health and wellness coach. A native of Antigua and Barbuda, in 1976 or 1977 he won Virgin Galactic’s 2021 lotteries for the Galactic 02 release, which normally sell for $450,000.
The lottery took place as part of a charity event aimed at raising money for the non-profit organization Space For Humanity. Later that year, Schahaff received a bouquet of tropical flowers and a gift bag from Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez. He pledged the support of the entire government and the Ministry of Tourism and Investment to help him in his “phenomenal” journey.
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Before takeoff, all passengers underwent “a full medical examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved physician, […] numerous medical records” and pre-flight training. Schahaff stated that he has no concerns about the expedition.
“When I was two years old, I just looked up at the sky and thought, ‘How am I going to get there?'” But coming from the Caribbean, I couldn’t see how that was possible. The fact that I am here, the first person to travel to space from Antigua, shows that space is becoming more and more accessible. I know my experience will change me and I hope I can share that energy and inspire those around me – in my role as a life coach, mother and ambassador for our beautiful planet,” Schahaff was quoted as saying.
In addition to Anastatia, she also has another daughter.
