Observing the Earth firsthand while in space is an incredibly serene and loving encounter.
Two weeks prior, Ana Mayers found herself floating effortlessly in the vastness of space, completely devoid of any gravitational pull. And she went with her mother.
The two people,as well as former Olympian Jon Goodwin, were on Virgin Galactic’s first tourist trip. This trip made them the first mother and daughter to go to space together.
Two weeks later, Ana is going to the University of Aberdeen to keep studying philosophy and physics.
BBC News beat spoke to the student before she traveled from Antigua in the Caribbean, where she lives, back to Scotland earlier.
“She said the entire experience made her feel deeply connected and emotional. “
The view is incredibly beautiful and amazing.
“It has made me realize that we should value and take care of Earth. We should seize this chance to explore and develop a bond with nature.”
Ana, her mom Keisha, and Jon Goodwin were very happy after their 90-minute journey into space.
Ana and her mom, Keisha Schahaff, who is 46 years old, won a competition and got the chance to go on a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
Ana says that she was sleeping in her university dorm when she found out about it.
“She called me on Face Time late at night out of nowhere, and all I could see on the screen was my own face, with nothing else. ”
“Richard Branson grabbed the phone, and I was really shocked. ”
The two people, together with an 80-year-old man named Jon, left from Spaceport America in New Mexico on 10 August.
The flight lasted for about an hour and a half. During the flight, they experienced a feeling of weightlessness. This happened when they reached a height of about 85 kilometers or 280,000 feet above the Earth’s surface. From that height, they were able to see a very unique view of the planet.
It is not surprising that the space tourists received a lot of training to get ready for their trip. But Ana says she did not feel nervous when it was finally time to take off.
“It feels like you’re on a regular flight, very calm,” she says.
But I remember when they began counting down, saying there were three minutes left until they released something, and then one minute left. I thought to myself, “Oh my God, this is actually happening. “
According to Ana, she has never “been so engaged with anything in my life” as she has been with the space voyage.
And many people have begun to look to her as an inspiration now that she has returned to Earth.
She says, “I feel very honoured to be able to inspire so many others.
“I sincerely hope that it’s expanding people’s minds to other aspects of life as well as just space.
“I hope it’s motivating people to seriously consider themselves and to put in the necessary time and effort.
You must be willing to accept opportunities when they come your way.