An Aberdeen student and her mum have become some of the first people to go to space aboard a Virgin Galactic tourism spaceflight.
Anastatia Mayers, 18, and her mum, Keisha Schahaff, 46, boarded the VSS Unity on Thursday morning ready for takeoff from the New Mexico launch site Spaceport America.
The pair broke several milestones including becoming the first mother-daughter duo to go to space with Miss Mayers becoming the second youngest person ever.
She kept the spaceflight a secret from her fellow Aberdeen University students, with most finding when the news broke in the media.
Aberdeen University lecturer, Ross MacPherson, told the BBC: “We are all just really excited. She is so lucky to get this unique experience and a lot of us are quite envious.
“We can’t wait to speak to her when she’s back. This will be one of the defining achievements of her life.”
Miss Mayers and her mum won their tickets in a sweepstake in 2021 that raised £1.7 million for the non-profit group Space for Humanity.
If they were to pay for a ticket it could cost them up to £350,000.
Preparing for take-off
Alongside Miss Mayers and her mum was John Goodwin, the first ticketed person to head into space who paid $250,000 back in 2005.
In preparation for the expedition, the passengers underwent training for the riggers of spaceflight.
Also on the flight were pilots CJ Sturckow and Kelly Latimer as well as Virgin Galactic’s chief astronaut instructor Beth Moses.
The futuristic spacecraft sped down the runway at around 3.30pm BST and soared into the sky for the 90-minute journey into space.
Footage from the inside the cabin showed Miss Mayers and her mum sitting on the left-hand side no doubt taking in the spectacular views from the windows.
Aberdeen student and her mum launched into space
The vessel carrying the passengers known as Unity, detached from the carrier plane, Eve, at round 4.18pm BST with the hybrid rocket igniting boosting the vessel higher into the atmosphere.
It travelled at a speed of 4,000km/h for 90 seconds where reached the top of climb, with passengers experiencing the weightlessness of space.
Occupants were treated to a epic views of the Earth, rarely seen by human eyes at a height of around 290,000ft.
They were able to come out of their seats, float around the cabin and look out the window, where they could see the curvature of the Earth and the black of space.
Miss Mayers could be seen staring out the window in wonder at the spectacular view of Earth.
Miss Mayers hopes to inspire other young people to reach their dreams.
Just minutes after, Unity began its descent back down to Earth, with all passengers backing in their seats.
Unity glided back down to the Earth landing at Spaceport America at 4.33pm just 15 minutes after releasing from the carrier plane.
Following their return to Earth the three passengers attended a press conference where they answered questions about their experience.
Miss Mayers said being the second-youngest astronaut to enter space was a sign to her – and young people worldwide – that they could achieve anything they put their minds to.
“I hope that it’s just motivation for other young people to dedicate their time and their efforts to reaching their goals,” she says.
In response to a question asking if she took anything meaningful to her up into space she said a ring from someone who means a lot to her, as well as photos of the most important people in her life.
She also took a badge from her university in Aberdeen.
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