Caribbean Mother-Daughter Duo The First To Do Space Travel

In a win for diversity in science, Keisha Schahaff and Anastasia Mayers will become the first mother- daughter duo, and the first from the Caribbean, to travel to space.

AfroTech confirmed the news that their voyage aboard, named the Galactic 02, will be a commercial space flight, the second ever for Virgin Galactic.

Schahaff, a wellness coach, shared that her quest to explore space travel has been a lifelong dream, and her participation in this journey is proof that anyone can see the stars.

“The face that I am here, the first to travel to space from Antigua, shows that space really is becoming more accessible,” she said.

Their inclusion on the space flight will be sponsored by Space for Humanity, which the women won in a draw that raised nearly $2 million for the program to bring more people of all identities to space. The nonprofit was founded in 2017 to improve equity and accessibility in everyday missions beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

Virgin Galactic’s tickets to these otherworldly flights usually range from $250,000 to $450,000, a hefty price tag that’s unaffordable for many. Space for Humanity’s quest to bridge the gap for those of diverse backgrounds to fulfill a dream of space flight is succeeding, and it’s a dream come true for the duo.

Schahaff’s daughter is not only making history as a Antiguan citizen in this shared experience but for her age group as well. Mayers, a college sophomore pursuing a degree in philosophy and physics at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, will become the second youngest voyager to venture to space. This trip will be well-aligned with her studies.

As Black women, their inclusion on this trip signals that once-in-a-lifetime opportunities such as this are possible for anyone who dares to soar higher.

The untraditional family vacation will be a 90-minute venture, but with speeds traveling as high as 2,600 miles per hour, it will surely be an unforgettable one.