Anastatia Mayers and her mother, Keisha Schahaff, will be the first mother and daughter to go to space. The Antigua & Barbuda natives will also make history as the first Caribbean people to embark on the journey. They will fly on Virgin Galactic’s second commercial flight, departing on Aug. 10.

Mayers, 18 and, a student at Aberdeen University in Scotland, heard about the opportunity from her mother.

“My mom read about the competition back in 2021 while we were on our way to another Caribbean Island to get my visa for studying at the University of Aberdeen,” she told her university in an interview. “We had to take an insane detour. So instead of a one-hour flight, it was 16 hours through London and then back into the Caribbean.”

“It was on that flight my mom randomly entered this competition, which I had no clue about until I was here in Scotland. I was very skeptical about it when she told me she had entered. I thought she was joking,” she added. “The one thing I did make sure was if she was going into space, it was going to be with me.”

Mayers then started her studies in Physics and Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen. She is now about to enter her third year.

Months later, Schahaff started receiving updates about the sweepstakes.

“I filled out this sweepstakes, and then suddenly months later, I’m getting correspondences saying that you’re a top 20 finalist, then a top five finalist, to becoming a winner,” Schahaff told the BBC.

 

Mayers received a FaceTime call from her mother, who she thought was simply checking in as this was her first time living abroad without her.

“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,” Mayers said.

In November, the mother and daughter got a surprise visit at their home in Antigua from Richard Branson, who formally delivered the news. They had won two seats on the Galactic 02 flight, Virgin Galactic’s second commercial spaceflight and the very first with paying customers.

One of the prized seats aboard the mission costs $450,000, according to the BBC. The first mission took place in June and reached an altitude of 279,000 ft.

 

At first, Mayers kept the news to herself as she says it took her a long time to come to terms with the idea that she would be going to space. She started telling some of her closest friends at university and back home.

“My friends are over the moon, so excited for me and so supportive,” she said, the BBC reported.

The mission will depart from New Mexico on Aug. 10. Both mother and daughter started hands-on training for the flight over the weekend.

“I’ve been doing my best to mentally prepare for it, trying to understand this is actually happening. 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,” Mayers said.

 

She says having her mother by her is comforting, as she is her “biggest supporter.” 

“I’m very grateful to be doing this with my mom; there is no one else I would choose to experience this with,” she added. “I don’t think there’s anything else that could be more bonding than this. It is so comforting to know she’s there with me. It’s a very big event. It’s mind blowing in itself, and having my mom there with me and having the ability to support each other is very comforting.”

Mayers has been curious about space since she was about 8 years old and started learning about astronomy. She wants her experience to inspire others to believe in their dreams.

“My intention is to just break any barriers that we set for ourselves or that the world sets for us,” she said. “I want people to know that it doesn’t matter where you come from, who you are — anything — your dream is your dream, and you can make that happen, despite what anyone else says.”

The launch for the Galactic 02 flight will be livestreamed at 11 a.m. EST on the company’s website and YouTube.

Anastatia MayersBlavity-UBlavity-U-NewsKeisha SchahaffSciencespaceVirgin Galactic