A British Olympian and a mother-daughter duo launched to the edge of space on Virgin Galactic second commercial flight on Thursday.
The paying passengers were part of Galactic 02, which was an hour-long experience that gave them a few minutes of weightlessness and striking views of Earth against the darkness of space.
A Virgin Galactic plane took off from a spaceport in New Mexico at 6.44pm, UAE time, delivering the VSS Unity spaceplane to a high enough altitude so it could climb to the boundary of space.
The spaceplane soared 89 kilometres above the New Mexico desert, with footage from inside the cabin that showed the passengers unbuckling and floating towards the windows to enjoy the stellar views.
The plane landed back on the runway at 7.44pm.
Jon Goodwin, a British adventurer and Olympian who competed in the 1972 Munich games in the canoe slalom event, was one of the passengers.
He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2014 and is committed to raising awareness of the condition.
"When I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2014, I was determined not to let it stand in the way of living life to the fullest," Mr Goodwin said before the flight.
"And, now, for me to go to space with Parkinson’s is completely magical. I hope this inspires all others facing adversity and shows them that challenges don’t have to inhibit or stop them from pursuing their dreams.”
His wife and two sons were at Spaceport America when Mr Goodwin took off on his space tourism flight.
Keisha Schahaff, 46, and Anastatia Mayers, 18, a mother and daughter from Antigua and Barbuda, were also passengers on Galactic 02.
They are the first women from the Caribbean to travel to space.
Ms Schahaff is an entrepreneur and health and wellness coach. She was the beneficiary of two spaceflight seats from a draw that raised $1.7 million in grants for Space for Humanity – a non-profit organisation that helps create access to space.
"When I was two years old, just looking up to the skies, I thought, ‘how can I get there?’ But, being from the Caribbean, I didn’t see how something like this would be possible," Ms Schahaff said before her flight.
"The fact that I am here, the first to travel to space from Antigua, shows that space really is becoming more accessible."
Virgin Galactic, founded by Sir Richard Branson, launched its first commercial flight at the end of June, and is hoping to operate monthly flights, as more than 800 ticket holders around the world await their turn.
Rival Blue Origin, owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, also launches space tourism flights.
It has flown 32 people to the edge of space so far since the first flight in 2021.
Sir Richard flew on Virgin Galactic's first flight in 2021, beating Mr Bezos, who did not fly on the first fully crewed Blue Origin space tourism flight until nine days later.
There was also a debate on which company was actually going into space, with Virgin Galactic reportedly only reaching a peak altitude of 89km and Blue Origin flying 106km.
It is widely accepted that “space begins” at 100km, called the Karman line – the invisible boundary between Earth's atmosphere and the beginning of space.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
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Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor
Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission 10-speed automatic
Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228
A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
Company%C2%A0profile
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EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
The specs
Price, base: Dh228,000 / Dh232,000 (est)
Engine: 5.7-litre Hemi V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 552Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.5L / 100km
Match info
Wolves 0
Arsenal 2 (Saka 43', Lacazette 85')
Man of the match: Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal)
The biog
Age: 19
Profession: medical student at UAE university
Favourite book: The Ocean at The End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman
Role model: Parents, followed by Fazza (Shiekh Hamdan bin Mohammed)
Favourite poet: Edger Allen Poe
Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
CRICKET%20WORLD%20CUP%20QUALIFIER%2C%20ZIMBABWE%20
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Greatest Royal Rumble results
John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match
Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus
Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal
Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos
Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out
The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match
Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last
