Mother and daughter who became Virgin Galactic’s first ‘space tourists’ tell DailyMail.com they feel more ‘grounded’ after historic New Mexico mission
The first mother-daughter duo in space told DailyMail.com they feel more grounded and connected to Earth after venturing to the final frontier.
Keisha Schahaff, 46, and her daughter Anastatia Mayers, 18, made the comments after launching 50 miles above the Earth’s surface during Virgin Galactic’s first tourist spaceflight.
“This experience grounded me. Woke me up,” Mayers said when asked what the crew’s next move was after the incredible mission.
“I feel more connected to the earth and motivated to explore and be even more adventurous. For me in the future it will just be adventure and searching for the most incredible experiences.’
“Obviously nothing can top this,” Mayers concluded, revealing how she almost got cold feet on Wednesday night.
The mother and daughter were also joined by Jon Goodwin, 80, who is now the first Olympian and the second person with Parkinson’s in space.
Keisha Schahaff (right), 46, and her daughter Anastatia Mayers (left), 18, said they feel more grounded and motivated in life after flying to space
Mayers, the second youngest person to travel to space, is one of Schahaff’s two daughters.
She is in her second year at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland studying philosophy and physics to become an astrobiologist.
She told reporters Wednesday night about her feelings of uncertainty about spaceflight.
“Last night, second thoughts, but then I woke up and I felt like I was ready,” Mayers said.
Schaffaf also felt motivated after the spaceflight.
“I’m going to make a strong impact to motivate young people,” she said in reference to the DailyMail.com question.
‘This experience has given me the beautiful feeling that if I can do this, I can do anything. I’m going to take the next step and see what happens.’
Goodwin also spoke to reporters after the historic mission and shared how his Parkinson’s didn’t stop him from living his life.
He was diagnosed in 2014 after purchasing his $250,000 ticket for the flight.
The pair were joined by former Jon Goodwin, 80, who is now the first Olympian and the second person with Parkinson’s in space.
The first mother-daughter duo in space told DailyMail.com they feel more connected to Earth after the mission
‘I liked the acceptance by Virgin Galactic the most, because when I applied in September 2005, I didn’t have Parkinson’s.
“Nine years ago I thought this was the end of going to space. They have done several health checks and everything else over the years, which never stopped me from doing what I wanted.
“I hope I’m teaching people around the world, as well as people with Parkinson’s, that it doesn’t stop you from doing things when you have an illness that’s inflicted on you.”
The crew departed New Mexico’s Spaceport America at 8:30 AM tethered into Virgin Galactic’s Unity spaceplane, which was tethered to the underbelly of the mothership Eve.
The planes rose to over 14,000 feet above the Earth’s surface, allowing Unity to separate by igniting its thrusters.
The crew took off from Spaceport America in New Mexico after saying goodbye to friends and family in the crowd
Pictured is the moment when the spaceplane and mothership separated during spaceflight
Unity lifted off, climbed up to 50 miles above the surface and hovered in place to let the passengers experience weightlessness and show the incredible view of our planet.
Goodwin, from Newcastle, described being a passenger on Virgin Galactic’s first space tourism flight as ‘completely surreal’ and ‘very moving’.
“It was much more dramatic than I imagined. It was the sheer acceleration – Mach 3 in eight-and-a-half seconds – (that) was utterly surreal, and the return was much more dramatic than I imagined.
In fact, I would have said it was getting out of hand if I hadn’t known otherwise. But it was an utterly surreal experience.
‘The most impressive thing was looking at the Earth from space – the sheer clarity was very moving. Without a doubt the most exciting day of my life.’
Goodwin added that the flight “beyond (his) wildest dreams” and hoped it would inspire others with Parkinson’s to do extraordinary things.
Anastatia Mayers takes in the incredible view of space. Together with her mother, she floated 50 miles above the earth’s surface
Schahaff won a spot on the flight alongside her daughter.
The pair became the first astronauts from the Caribbean and were part of the first flight dominated by women.
“I’m still up there, I’m not there yet, and it’s just amazing that you can land on the runway so smoothly when you come back from space,” said Schahaff:
“It was so comfortable, it really was the best ride ever, and I’d love to do this again.”
She said sand from her homeland of Antigua and Barbuda, the national flag and her favorite shell were among the possessions she took on the Virgin Galactic flight.
Mayers took a ring given to her by her boyfriend and photos of loved ones.
Goodwin reached into his pocket and took out jewelry belonging to his wife Pauline, a former Olympian.
Pauline was in Spaceport on Thursday to cheer on her husband, her son, grandson and daughter-in-law.
Virgin Galactic’s first private flight had been delayed for years, but Thursday’s mission means Richard Branson’s company can now start offering monthly rides alongside Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Elon Musk’s SpaceX in the space tourism business.