Anousheh Ansari

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Anousheh Ansari
انوشه انصاری
Anousheh Ansari
Cosmonaut
 Nationality American / Iranian
 Born September 12, 1966
Mashhad, Iran
 Occupation1 Businesswoman
 Rank Spaceflight participant
 Space time 10d 21h 04m
 Selection 2006
 Mission(s) Soyuz TMA-9
Mission insignia
 1 previous or current

Anousheh Ansari (Persian: انوشه انصاری‎, born 12 September 1966) is the Iranian-American co-founder and chairman of Prodea Systems, Inc. Her previous business accomplishments include serving as co-founder and CEO of Telecom Technologies, Inc. (TTI). The Ansari family is also the title sponsor of the Ansari X PRIZE. On 18 September 2006, just a few days after her 40th birthday, she became the world's first female space tourist[1], the first female Muslim[2] and first Iranian in space[3].

Contents

[edit] Early life

Born Anousheh Raissyan[4] on 12 September 1966 in Mashhad, Iran, Ansari and her parents moved to Tehran shortly afterward. Ansari witnessed the Iranian Revolution in 1979. She emigrated to the United States in 1984 as a teenager, even though she did not speak English, in part, according to CNN, "because her family wanted her to pursue her passion for the sciences to the fullest extent possible."[5]

She received her Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and computer science at George Mason University and her master's degree at George Washington University.[6]

After graduation, Ansari began work at MCI, where she met her future husband, Hamid Ansari. They married in 1991.[7]

She is fluent in English and French as well as her native Persian and has also been acquiring a working knowledge of Russian for her space mission. [8]

[edit] Business career

In 1993, she persuaded her husband and her brother-in-law Amir Ansari to co-found Telecom Technologies, Inc., using their savings and corporate retirement accounts, as a wave of deregulation hit the telecommunications industry. The company was acquired by Sonus Networks, Inc. in 2000 for $550 million dollars in stock. Since the sale, Sonus' stock has fallen from $40 a share to under $5. Ansari and eight other individuals are the defendants in a shareholder suit that, among other things, accuses her of insider trading. [9]

[edit] Space-related career

Ansari is a member of the X Prize Foundation’s Vision Circle, as well as its Board of Trustees.[10] Along with her brother-in-law, Amir Ansari, she made a multi-million dollar contribution to the X-Prize foundation on 5 May 2004, the 43rd anniversary of Alan Shepard's sub-orbital spaceflight. The X-Prize was officially renamed the Ansari X Prize in honor of their donation.

The Ansari family investment firm, also named Prodea, has announced a partnership with Space Adventures, Ltd. and the Federal Space Agency of the Russian Federation (FSA) to create a fleet of suborbital spaceflight vehicles (the Space Adventures Explorer) for global commercial use.[11]

[edit] Spaceflight

Ansari trained [12] as a backup for Daisuke Enomoto for a Soyuz flight to the International Space Station, through Space Adventures, Ltd. On 21 August 2006, Enomoto was medically disqualified from flying the Soyuz TMA-9 mission that was due to launch the following month. The next day Ansari was elevated to the prime crew.[13]

Asked what she hoped to achieve on her spaceflight, Ansari said, "I hope to inspire everyone—especially young people, women, and young girls all over the world, and in Middle Eastern countries that do not provide women with the same opportunities as men—to not give up their dreams and to pursue them...It may seem impossible to them at times. But I believe they can realize their dreams if they keep it in their hearts, nurture it, and look for opportunities and make those opportunities happen." [14] The day before her departure, she was interviewed on Iran national television for the astronomy show Night's Sky. The hosts wished her success and thanked her on behalf of Iranians. Ansari in return thanked them and called for people to witness how hard work, imagination, and an open mind can lead to success.[citation needed]

On 18 September 2006, the spacecraft blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, en route to the International Space Station (ISS), with Ansari becoming only the fourth (and first female) space tourist. Her contract forbids disclosure of the amount paid, but previous space tourists have paid in excess of US$20 million.

Ansari lifted off on the Soyuz TMA-9 mission with fellow cosmo/astronauts commander Mikhail Tyurin (Russian) and flight engineer Michael Lopez-Alegria (American) at 04:59 (UTC) on Monday 18 September 2006 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The space craft docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday 20 September 2006 at 05:21 (UTC).[15][16] She landed safely on 29 September 2006 at 01:13 UTC in the steppes of Kazakhstan (90 kilometers north of Arkalyk) with US astronaut Jeff Williams and Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov. She was given a bunch of red roses from an unidentified official and a surprise kiss from her husband, Hamid.[17][18][19] Rescuers moved them to Kustanai for welcome ceremony with helicopters.[20]

During her eight-day stay onboard the International Space Station, Ansari agreed to perform a series of experiments on behalf of the European Space Agency. She conducted four experiments [21], including:

  • Researching the mechanisms behind anemia.
  • How changes in muscles influence lower back pain.
  • Consequences of space radiation on ISS crew members and different species of microbes that have made a home for themselves on the space station.

She also became the first person to publish a weblog from space.

[edit] Interviews

On 22 September 2006, she told the reporters that she has no regrets and said "I am having a wonderful time here. It's been more than what I expected, and I am enjoying every single second of it. The entire experience has been wonderful up here,"[22]

[edit] No politics

Ansari intended to wear the U.S. flag on her spacesuit and the version of the Iranian flag that predated the 1979 Islamic Revolution, to honor the two countries that have contributed to her life.[23] At the insistence of the Russian and U.S. governments, she did not wear the Iranian flag, but wore the Iranian colors instead.[24] She and her husband have said no political message was intended, despite the increasing tension in US-Iran relations, which has dominated world headlines in the weeks leading up to her historic launch. She said that she had "plans to devote her mission to expanding a global consciousness she expects will be seeded with her first look at Earth from space". On the 18 September 2006 lift-off, Ansari accompanied the U.S.-Russian Expedition 14 crew on the Soyuz TMA-9 capsule. That crew, Spanish-American Michael Lopez-Alegria and Russian Mikhail Tyurin, started a six-month stint in space. Ansari returned to Earth after ten days with the Expedition 13 crew on the Soyuz TMA-8 capsule.[25].

[edit] Reactions concerning Ansari's visit

[edit] Crewmates

Michael Lopez-Alegria, the Spanish-born U.S. professional astronaut who flew on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft on which Ansari was a passenger, and reflecting the American space agency NASA's unease about space tourists on the unfinished space station, expressed his doubts to reporters before their flight: "I'm not a big fan personally of having those guys go visit the space station because I think the space station is still a place that is under construction and not quite operational. I don't think it's ideal."[26]

However, according to a recent Associated Press story, Lopez-Alegria stated that he was skeptical of private tourists a few years ago, but now believes it is essential to the survival of the Russian space program which is important to the U.S. space program: "If that's the correct solution... then not only is it good from the standpoint of supporting the Russian space program, but it's good for us as well," he said. Ansari's presence in space "is a great dream and a great hope not just for our country but for countries all around the world."[27]

The same Associated Press story also quoted cosmonaut Tyurin describing Ansari as "very professional" and said he felt like they had worked together for a decade.

[edit] Reactions In Iran

Reactions to the flight in Ansari's native Iran were generally mixed. On one hand it was given signifigant coverage by state television and praised by newspapers such as Hambastegi and Jam-e-Jam Daily that published daily columns detailing the journey. The astronomy magazine NOJUM also published an exclusive interview with Ansari before her trip, in which she discussed her vision for commercial spaceflight. NOJUM and ARI also organized and held gatherings when the ISS passed over Iran's cities.

On the other hand, this broad coverage was criticized by others such as Jomhoury Eslami, which fears this hype will set a bad example for young Iranians. [28]

[edit] Honors and awards

Ansari has received multiple honors, including the George Mason University Entrepreneurial Excellence Award, the George Washington University Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, and the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Southwest Region. While under her leadership, Telecom Technologies, Inc. earned recognition as one of Inc. magazine's 500 fastest-growing companies and one of Deloitte & Touche’s Fast 500 technology companies. She was listed in Fortune magazine's "40 under 40" list in 2001 and honored by Working Woman magazine as the winner of the 2000 National Entrepreneurial Excellence award.

The Ansari family was recently honored with an Orbit Award by the National Space Society and Space Tourism Society for underwriting the Ansari X Prize.

[edit] Activism

Ansari has an interest in social entrepreneurship. She has served on the boards of directors for the Make-a-Wish Foundation of North Texas and Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center. She works with a number of other non-profit organizations, including the Ashoka: Innovators for the Public in its support of social entrepreneurs.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ GINA SUNSERI, First Female Space Tourist Takes Off, ABC News, [1]
  2. ^ Andrew Buncombe. Pride in space as Iran cheers first Muslim's journey to the stars. Retrieved on 2006-10-27.
  3. ^ Shamil Zhumatov. Iranian-born space tourist blasts off into orbit. Reuters. Retrieved on 2006-09-18.
  4. ^ Alumni news. George Mason University (2001). Retrieved on 2006-09-22.
  5. ^ "Female space tourist blasts off", 2006-09-18. Retrieved on 2006-09-18.
  6. ^ Emily Yaghmour. Failure Was Never an Option for Mason Alumna. George Mason University alumni newsletter. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
  7. ^ "First female space tourist poised for launch", 2006-09-15. Retrieved on 2006-09-15.
  8. ^ WARREN E. LEARY, She Dreamed of the Stars; Now She’ll Almost Touch Them, NY Times , September 12, 2006 [2]
  9. ^ Koeng, David. "Iranian-Born Woman to Be Space Tourist", Lycos News, 2006-09-16. Retrieved on 2006-09-18.
  10. ^ Board of Trustees. X PRIZE Foundation. Retrieved on 2006-09-11.
  11. ^ Space Tourism Pioneers, Space Adventures, and the Ansari X Prize Title Sponsors to Provide First Suborbital Spaceflight Tourism Vehicles. PR Newswire. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
  12. ^ Iranian Woman Blazes Trail Into Space. Spacedaily.com. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
  13. ^ Iranian-born American approved to replace Japanese space tourist. Novosti. Retrieved on 2006-08-22.
  14. ^ Interview with Anousheh Ansari, the First Female Space Tourist. Retrieved on 2006-09-19.
  15. ^ ""Lift-off for woman space tourist "", BBC News Online, 2006-09-18. Retrieved on 2006-09-22.
  16. ^ ""Space tourist, new crew board ISS"", BBC News Online, 2006-09-20. Retrieved on 2006-09-22.
  17. ^ "Space Station Crew Back on Earth". NASA (2006-09-28). Retrieved on 2006-09-30.
  18. ^ ""Space tourist in Earth touchdown"", BBC News Online, 2006-09-29. Retrieved on 2006-09-30.
  19. ^ ""Space triumph prompts new line in underwear"", icWales, The Western Mail, 2006-09-29. Retrieved on 2006-09-30.
  20. ^ ""American female space tourist returns"", The Detroit News, 2006-09-29. Retrieved on 2006-09-30.
  21. ^ IESA experiments with spaceflight participant Ansari to ISS. Retrieved on 2006-09-22.
  22. ^ "First female space tourist savoring 'every single second' in orbit", Yahoo! News, 2006-09-22. Retrieved on 2006-09-22.
  23. ^ Maher, Heather. "U.S.: Iranian-American To Be First Female Civilian In Space", Radio Free Europe, 2006-09-15. Retrieved on 2006-09-17.
  24. ^ Slater, Shelly. "Local space tourist's Iran patch spurs dispute", 2006-09-14. Retrieved on 2006-09-17.
  25. ^ INTERVIEW: From space, a new view of an Iranian. Yahoo. Retrieved on 2006-09-18.
  26. ^ Than, Ker. "First Female Space Tourist, Next ISS Crew Set to Launch", space.com, 2006-09-16. Retrieved on 2006-09-18.
  27. ^ Eckel, Mike. "First female space tourist blasts off", Yahoo News, 2006-09-18. Retrieved on 2006-09-19.
  28. ^ Writers, AFP Staff. "Iran Daily Attacks Coverage Of 'Rich Iranian' In Space", Spacedaily.com, 2006-09-19. Retrieved on 2006-09-20.

[edit] External links

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