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'Anousheh Ansari' (, born 12 September 1966) is the Iranian-American co-founder and chairman of Prodea Systems, Inc and a spaceflight participant with the Russian space program. 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 September 18, 2006, just a few days after her 40th birthday, she became the first female Muslim and first Iranian in space.
Some categorize her as the first female and fourth overall space tourist.
Early life
Born 'Anousheh Raissian'[1] on September 12, 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.[2]
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.[3][4][5]
After graduation, Ansari began work at MCI, where she met her future husband, Hamid Ansari. They married in 1991.[6]
Business career
In 1993, she persuaded her husband, Hamid Ansari, 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 defendants in a shareholder suit that, among other things, accuses her of insider trading.[7]
Spaceflight
Ansari holds a plant grown in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station.
Ansari takes umbrage at being called a "space tourist" but seems to accept the title of "spaceflight participant".[8]
Ansari is a member of the X PRIZE Foundation’s Vision Circle, as well as its Board of Trustees.[9] 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.[10]
Spaceflight
Ansari trained[11] 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.
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."[12] 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.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]
On 18 September 2006, Soyuz TMA-9 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 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).[21][22]
She landed safely aboard Soyuz TMA-8 on 29 September 2006 at 01:13 UTC in the steppes of Kazakhstan (90 kilometers north of Arkalyk) with U.S. astronaut Jeffrey 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.[23][24][25] Rescuers moved them to Kustanai for welcome ceremony with helicopters.[26]
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,[27] 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.
Ansari returned to Earth after ten days with the Expedition 13 crew on the Soyuz TMA-8 capsule.[28]
Iranian flag controversy
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. U.S.: Iranian-American To Be First Female Civilian In Space Heather Maher At the insistence of the Russian and U.S. governments, she did not wear the Iranian flag, but wore the Iranian colors instead.[29] She and her husband have said no political message was intended, despite the increasing tension in US-Iran relations, which had 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".
Reactions to Ansari's flight
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."[30]
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."[31]
The same Associated Press story also quoted Mikhail Tyurin describing Ansari as "very professional" and said he felt like they had worked together for a decade.
Reactions in Iran
Reactions to the flight in Ansari's native Iran were generally mixed. On one hand it was given significant coverage by state television. IRIB aired a live 1 hour interview with Anousheh in Aseman-e-Shab (Night Sky) live show. Anousheh 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 of Pouria Nazemi with Anousheh 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.[32]
Interviews
Anousheh Ansari in an interview from space
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."[33]
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.
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 in its support of social entrepreneurs.
Personal
She is fluent in English and French as well as her native Persian and has also acquired a working knowledge of Russian for her space tour.[34]
See also
★ Iranian women
★ List of famous Persian women
References
1. Alumni news
2. Female space tourist blasts off
3. Failure Was Never an Option for Mason Alumna Emily Yaghmour
4. GINA SUNSERI,
''First Female Space Tourist Takes Off'' ABC News, Sept. 18, 2006
5. Pride in space as Iran cheers first Muslim's journey to the stars
6. First female space tourist poised for launch
7. Iranian-Born Woman to Be Space Tourist David Koeng
8. Space for Business Newsletter article from February 2007: "I am NOT a tourist" February 2007
9. Board of Trustees
10. Space Tourism Pioneers, Space Adventures, and the Ansari X PRIZE Title Sponsors to Provide First Suborbital Spaceflight Tourism Vehicles
11. Iranian Woman Blazes Trail Into Space
12. Interview with Anousheh Ansari, the First Female Space Tourist
13. Iranian-born American approved to replace Japanese space tourist
14. Personal website
15. Anousheh Ansari Space Blog
16. Space Explorer, Anousheh's space album
17. NASA Expedition 14 Overview
18. Spacefacts biography of Anousheh Ansari
19. Up, Up, and Away!
20. Full Coverage of Anousheh's journey to space
21. "Lift-off for woman space tourist "
22. "Space tourist, new crew board ISS"
23. "Space Station Crew Back on Earth"
24. "Space tourist in Earth touchdown"
25. "Space triumph prompts new line in underwear"
26. "American female space tourist returns"
27. IESA experiments with spaceflight participant Ansari to ISS
28. INTERVIEW: From space, a new view of an Iranian
29. Local space tourist's Iran patch spurs dispute Shelly Slater
30. First Female Space Tourist, Next ISS Crew Set to Launch Ker Than
31. First female space tourist blasts off Mike Eckel
32. Iran Daily Attacks Coverage Of 'Rich Iranian' In Space AFP Staff Writers
33. First female space tourist savoring 'every single second' in orbit
34. WARREN E. LEARY, ''She Dreamed of the Stars; Now She’ll Almost Touch Them'', NY Times , September 12, 2006
External links
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