“Dream! Dream Big! Dream the impossible! And make it come true…” – Anousheh Ansari
“Astronaut” seemed a feasible career path in the early 80’s. The Cold War was stoking an American passion for out-doing the Soviets, the movie SpaceCamp was ‘blasting off’ at the box office, and straight-faced teachers told children that we all had the potential to be astronauts. It was the ideal career with which to encourage youthful ambition – sort of like being a fireman, only less provincial. And what child wouldn’t get excited by the idea of blasting into space to float around in zero gravity, play with Slinkies, and drink Tang? But after the Challenger disaster, a teacher would sooner say “Who wants to die in a fiery explosion in front of the whole world?” than promote being an astronaut.
Personally, I’ve never dreamed of being an astronaut. My grandiose dreams involved less science: Fashion model, Olympic track and field star, Showcase Showdown winner on The Price is Right, wife of George Michael. As I grew older and lazier, I settled on a life of attainable goals and quiet desperation.
When I first heard about space tourism, I felt contemptuous of rich people buying a one-week space vacation for $20 million. How unfair to the people who legitimately pursue their dream of being an astronaut, and wind up spending their whole careers waiting for a chance that will probably never happen. I laughed sardonically at the shambles of Russia’s space program, that they needed to shuttle rich people as cargo to fund missions, and I also feared NASA may take a similar route and risk hampering scienitific pursuit so any rich putz (frigging Lance Bass?) can enjoy mind-blowing awe and unmatchable bragging rights.
I changed my mind about space tourism when I read about Anousheh Ansari, a 40-year-old Iranian-born business executive who returned from an 11-day journey to the International Space Station last month. Anasari is not only the first woman space tourist, she is also the first Iranian ever to be in space, and the first female Muslim. With so many “firsts” venturing to the final frontier, I did not think of this precendent until I read an article on how Ansari’s journey was covered positively in her native Iran by the press, and followed enthusiastically by many women. Said one Iranian feminist journalist, “I had never seen so much enthusiasm for an Iranian woman. Young girls talked about their dreams, and it was like their own dreams had come true.” Had Ansari not paid for her voyage, how long before a female Muslim goes to space?
Even if Ansari didn’t take the traditional route to the space station, her achievement is exciting young people about space exploration. And if humans are to fulfill the prophecies of Isaac Asimov, we need to stop sending scientists to test the effect of weightlessness on mold and how mice respond to aspirin, and start sending rich, photogenic people from all over the globe. Take of those veils, ladies, and slip on a pressurized space helmet!
