Aberdeen University student preparing for 'mind blowing' Virgin Galactic journey into space

Anastatia Mayers set to board suborbital flight on Thursday

An Aberdeen University student is readying herself for the “mind blowing” experience of travelling into space, describing it as the realisation of a dream she “hadn’t really taken seriously.”

Anastatia Mayers, who is studying physics and philosophy, will be among a handful of people on board Virgin Galactic’s first space tourism flight when it takes off from New Mexico in the US on Thursday.

The 18 year-old will be joined by her mother, Keisha Schahaff, for the groundbreaking 90 minute trip into suborbital space, after they won a place on the commercial flight in a prize draw. It means Anastatia will become the second youngest person to journey into space, and they will be the first mother and daughter to make such a trip.

After taking off in the mothership VMS Eve and climbing to around 50,000 feet, an attached craft, VSS Unity, will separate and take them into sub-orbital space, where they will briefly experience weightlessness and be able to take in extraordinary views of the planet. The trip, known as Galactic 02, will raise funds for Space for Humanity, a non-profit group which seeks to send ordinary citizens into space to give them a “grander perspective” on the challenges facing Earth.

For Ms Mayers, the prospect of going where only a few hundred people have been before is an “incredible” opportunity. “I think it is a very eye opening and grounding realisation to be part of this group,” she explained. “I hope this can be inspirational for other people that fit into my criteria and this stimulates people to dream bigger and to follow through with their dreams.”

The teenager, from Antigua, said she had been spending time preparing for the experience as best she can, a process which included meeting Dave Mackay, the former RAF test pilot from Helmsdale, Sutherland, who is Virgin Galactic’s chief pilot. “I've been doing my best to mentally prepare for it, trying to understand this is actually happening,” she said. “I wanted to create some goals and figure out the things I want to get out of this. I’m just trying to make it a meaningful and lasting experience. I’ve been focusing on my character. I'm hoping to become a more open-minded, more opportunistic and positive person.”

The mother and daughter won their places onboard after entering a sweepstake by fundraising company Omaze while Keisha was on a flight from Antigua to the UK to sort out her student visa. Anastatia said she thought her mum was “joking” and put the competition to the back of her mind, but one day in late 2021, she was studying in Aberdeen when her mum called her via FaceTime.

Anastatia Mayers and Chief Pilot Dave Mackay at Spaceport America

“I thought she was just checking in to see how I was doing because it was the first time I had been living in another country independently from her,” she recalled. “That was when she told me we won the trip to space. I remember saying ‘What are you talking about? You’ve finally lost it’. I was in utter shock. I wasn't able to piece my words together. I was in disbelief. I’m still processing the fact we get to do this.”

She added: “It took me quite a while to tell anyone. It took a long time to come to terms with it. But I started by telling my closest friends, including some of the closest people I have met over here in Aberdeen and some friends back in Antigua. My friends are over the moon, so excited for me and so supportive.”

Ms Mayers and her mother will be joined on the flight by Jon Goodwin, a former Olympian with Parkinson's disease, who bought his $250,000 (£194,500) ticket for the flight 18 years ago. The 80 year-old competed as a canoeist in the 1972 Games in Munich and said he will be the first Olympian to become an astronaut.

Mr Goodwin, from Newcastle, who holds various records for canoeing expeditions, was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2014 and hopes his latest adventure will inspire others to do "abnormal things.”

Anastatia Mayers will become one of the youngest people to travel into space. Picture: Virgin Galactic

He told BBC Breakfast it feels "completely surreal" to finally be on the verge of the voyage, and said he is "extremely excited" for what will be the "icing on the cake" after a life of doing "exciting things.”

"I always believed it would happen, a lot of people didn't," Mr Goodwin added. “I had a lot of faith in the project and went out to the Mojave Desert a number of times, watched the development, which was really interesting. So, I watched it right from the beginning."

The three passengers will be joined by astronaut instructor, Beth Moses. In June Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic successfully completed the company's first commercial spaceflight, taking Italian astronauts into space to conduct a number of scientific experiments. The flight reached an altitude of 279,000 feet.

Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic, said: “This flight highlights two of Virgin Galactic’s core aspirations – increasing access to space and inspiring people around the world. Each of these astronauts are role models and beacons of inspiration in their communities.”

Thursday's launch will mark the first time paying passengers have been on board one of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic space flights. Picture: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty

Despite the success of Virgin Galactic, Sir Richard’s other space ventures have not done so well recently. In April, Virgin Orbit filed for bankruptcy after its rocket failed to complete the first satellite launch from UK soil. In the weeks following the failed launch, the firm cut 85 per cent of its staff.

Virgin Galactic will be running a live stream of the launch from 3pm on Thursday. It can be viewed on the company’s website or on YouTube.