A mother and daughter and an 80-year-old former Olympian with Parkinson's disease are set to make history when they blast off into space this week.
They comprise the crew of civilian passenger astronauts who will launch 53 miles above the Earth on Aug. 10 in Virgin Galactic's second commercial trip.
NBC News' "Stay Tuned" host Gadi Schwartz got a glimpse on TODAY at their preparations for the historic launch from Virgin Galactic's Spaceport deep in the New Mexican desert.
Here's what to know about these three civilians heading to space.
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Keisha Shahaff
Keisha Schahaff, 46, and her daughter, Anastatia Mayers, 18, will become the first mother-daughter duo to ever travel to space together. The Antigua natives will also be the first astronauts from the Caribbean.
U.S. & World
"I kind of feel like I was born in this life for this," Schahaff told Schwartz. As for what she's anticipating most, she said: “Looking back and seeing a beautiful planet and then looking across to see my daughter’s face while she’s looking at it as well.”
Schahaff, who's a mom of two daughters, and Mayers landed their spots through a lottery benefiting the nonprofit Space for Humanity. Branson came to their home to give them the good news in person, resulting in hugs and shouts of joy.
“Hopefully this will inspire other people as well, to go beyond these fears that’s holding them back,” Schahaff said. “Take your dreams back out, conquer your fears and go get them.”
Anastatia Mayers
Anastatia Mayers, a student in Scotland at the University of Aberdeen studying philosophy and physics, will be the youngest person to travel to space, according to Virgin Galactic.
She is one of the three civilians who underwent three days of rigorous training ahead of the launch, which is scheduled for 11 a.m. E.T. on Aug. 10. They are looking forward to a moment they won’t forget.
“I’m hoping to give myself that confidence to try new things and to be a little bit uncomfortable sometimes,” Mayers said.
Jon Goodwin
The third member of the crew on the Unity ship is Jon Goodwin, 80, who competed in the slalom canoe event in the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Goodwin was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2014, but has since climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and will add a trip to space to his resume, according to his bio on the Virgin Galactic website.
"The fact that I’m suffering with Parkinson’s for 9 years just shows you this attitude of space for all is a wonderful attitude," Goodwin said in an interview with Virgin Galactic.
This will be the company's seventh trip to space as part of the mission by Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson to make space travel more accessible to everyone.
The current ticket price is $450,000 for the 90-minute flight, which includes three minutes of total weightlessness. More than 800 people are on the waitlist, according to Branson.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY
