An Antigua and Barbuda mom has won the first free trip to space from billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic. She plans on taking her daughter, an astrophysics student, on the $900,000 chance of a lifetime.
In a statement, Keisha S., who works as a health and energy coach, said that winning the trip to space raffle is an answer to her lifelong dream, and she wants to share this experience with her daughter, who has dreams of working at NASA after she receives her STEM degree.
"I want to bring the flag of Antigua and Barbuda to space with me!" the excited mom said. "To be the first astronaut right now from the Caribbean Islands is such an honor."
Virgin Galactic Space Trip Raffle
Virgin Galactic ran the raffle in July in collaboration with Omaze after Branson flew with the first crew to launch the commercial venture. For eight weeks, Omaza raised nearly $2 million from donations made by 165,000 people worldwide to help fund the charity that will allow some individuals to fly to space. A single space flight from this company costs close to $450,000 per person. Other billionaires who have launched a similar venture include Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Elon Musk of Space X.
Speaking with People, Branson said that he established Virgin Galactic more than two decades ago to make space travel "accessible to everyone." He believes that Keisha is the most fitting inaugural winner because the trip to space will be a fulfillment of both her and her daughter's dream. The billionaire said that the mother and daughter's win validated his space company's mission.
Omaze's fundraising will also help the newly-established Space for Humanity's Citizen Astronaut Program, which will allow people from different backgrounds to train and experience space travel. They plan to organize a new crew from all over the world year after year.
However, Keisha and her daughter's trip to space has no confirmed date just yet since they will still undergo training. On the other hand, the Virgin Galactic crew will be doing enhancements for its spacecraft.
According to a representative, Keisha's trip will likely come together by mid-2022. In the meantime, she and her daughter can visit Spaceport America in New Mexico, as this is also part of her raffle prize.
Tom Hanks Turns Down Space Flight
Meanwhile, Hollywood actor Tom Hanks revealed that he turned down a chance to fly to space after Bezos offered him a seat. Speaking with Jimmy Kimmel, Hanks said that he didn't want to pay $28 million for a Blue Origin space flight ticket even if he could afford the cost.
The actor said that the experience of traveling in space can be simulated with today's technology, and it won't cost 28 million. Hanks starred in the 1995 film "Apollo 13" about the failed lunar mission involving the third crew to supposedly land on the moon, astronauts Jim Lovell, Jeffrey Kluger, and Fred Haise.
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