World’s First Female Private Space Explorer Takes Flight

Anousheh Ansari and her crew have successfully launched aboard a Soyuz TMA spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan en route to the International Space Station. Mrs. Ansari joins the Expedition 14 crew which includes NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin for her 10-day mission.

“Exploring the cosmos has been a dream of mine that I have kept in my heart starting from a young age and I am very fortunate now to be able to actually experience it. I am very grateful to Space Adventures for providing me with this once in a lifetime opportunity. Without them, my dream would not be realized,” said Anousheh Ansari, chairman and co-founder of Prodea Systems, Inc., a digital home technology company. “Through this mission I want to bring awareness to the sciences and, specifically, space exploration. I also want to share the experience with as many as possible, so that people from all over the world will know how it feels to fly in the Earth’s orbit.”

Eric Anderson, president and CEO of Space Adventures said, “Today is an important milestone as Anousheh becomes the world’s first private female space explorer to realize her dream of space travel. We, at Space Adventures, are proud to partner with such a courageous and determined individual. She is truly an inspiration to us all.”

In preparation for her spaceflight with Space Adventures, Mrs. Ansari completed a cosmonaut training program at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center located in Star City, Russia.

Mrs. Ansari is a successful entrepreneur. She is co-founder and chairman of Prodea Systems, Inc. and a member of the X Prize Foundation’s Vision Circle, as well as its Board of Trustees. She was also the title sponsor for the Ansari X Prize, a $10 million (US$) cash prize for the first non-governmental organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space twice within two weeks. Prior to co-founding Prodea Systems, in 2006, Mrs. Ansari co-founded Telecom Technologies, Inc., where she served as the company’s co-founder, chief executive officer and chairman. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electronics and computer engineering from George Mason University and a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from The George Washington University. She is currently working toward a Master of Science degree in astronomy from Swinburne University.

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