Keisha Schahaff (born 1976 or 1977) is an
Antiguan and Barbudan, who, along with her daughter, Anastatia Mayers (born 2004) are
space tourists who are the first citizens from Antigua & Barbuda (and Caribbean)
and the first mother and daughter duo to fly to space. Their
Galactic 02
Galactic 02 (''G02'') was a crewed sub-orbital spaceflight of the SpaceShipTwo-class VSS ''Unity'', launched on 10 August 2023. It was the second commercial spaceflight and seventh overall spaceflight for American aerospace company Virgin ...
launch occurred on 10 August 2023. Anastatia, at 18, is the second youngest person to have gone into space using
the United States definition of the boundary of space.
Space travel
In 2021, the duo won tickets for the Galactic 02 launch, typically sold for $450,000, through a drawing held by
Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic is an American spaceflight company founded by Richard Branson and his British Virgin Group retains an 11.9% stake through Virgin Investments Limited. It is headquartered in California, and operates from New Mexico. The company i ...
.
The draw, which required a minimum donation of $10, was held as part of a charity event raising funds for the non-profit organization
Space For Humanity.
Schahaff received a pledge of support by tourism minister
Charles Fernandez
Charles “Max” Fernandez (born ) is a Labour Party politician from Antigua and Barbuda who was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade from June 2014 to 2018. He currently serves as Minister of Tourism, Investment and Economi ...
on behalf of the nation and the Ministry of Tourism and Investment.
The trip, launched 10 August 2023, was the company's seventh spaceflight, second commercial space flight,
and first private passenger launch.
The expedition was expected to last a minimum of 90 minutes.
Prior to the launch, all passengers underwent a "full medical examination by a doctor approved by the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),
..many medical records checks," and pre-flight training.
When asked about the risks involved in the mission, Mayers stated, “We all need to get out of our comfort zones and try new things, to believe in ourselves."
Biographies
Schahaff
Schahaff was born in 1976 or 1977.
She is an entrepreneur and health and wellness coach, and has two daughters.
Myers
Myers attended Island Academy in
Bendals village, the only international school in Antigua and Barbuda.
As of July 2023, she is a second-year student at the
University of Aberdeen, where she is studying philosophy and physics.
When asked about her program of study, she stated, "Philosophy and physics make an interesting combination, but it expresses both my love for science and my curiosity about how the world works."
See also
*
Galactic 02
Galactic 02 (''G02'') was a crewed sub-orbital spaceflight of the SpaceShipTwo-class VSS ''Unity'', launched on 10 August 2023. It was the second commercial spaceflight and seventh overall spaceflight for American aerospace company Virgin ...
*
Galactic 01
*
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda (, ) is a sovereign country in the West Indies. It lies at the juncture of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles, at 17°N latitude. The country consists of two maj ...
*
Antigua Recreation Ground
*
Antigua
Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...
*
Barbuda
*
Antigua Recreation Ground
*
Oliver Daemen
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schahaff, Keisha
Antiguan and Barbudan spacewomen
Antigua and Barbuda women in business
Virgin Galactic
People associated with the University of Aberdeen
Living people