Even a decade ago, the concept might have sounded wildly futuristic – but, if recent events are anything to go by, space tourism is becoming the latest frontier of travel.

In August 2023, Virgin Galactic launched its first space flight with tourists on board. For paying customers, it cost $450,000. But for a lucky a few, the experience was comped – including for Keisha Schahaff and Ana Mayers, the first mother-daughter duo ever to fly into space, who won seats as part of a $1.7m programme by the non-profit Space for Humanity. Hailing from Antigua, they were also the first women from the Caribbean to enter space. And the flight itself had the most female passengers of any single mission in history.

BBC Travel spoke with Keisha and Ana to hear more about this historic moment – including how flying into space together has changed their relationship and affected how they see life and the Earth itself.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Keisha, I understand that you entered the competition. Why?

Keisha: Ever since I was a child – and it never left me – I really wanted to go to space. It’s something I always wanted to do. I just didn’t know how I was going to get into this big blue sky, leave the atmosphere and go up into the darkness of space.

How did it happen?

Keisha: I was travelling from Antigua to Barbados on a Virgin Galactic flight. My daughter was with me. And I saw the ad pop up with Richard Branson: ‘Would you like to go to space?’ And I said, ‘Yes!’ and filled out the lottery.

To my surprise, a few weeks after, I started getting correspondence from the Home Office and the Astronaut Office, the Virgin Galactic office, telling me I’m a finalist. Then Richard Branson showed up at my house with a whole big team of people to say, ‘You are going to space!’.

Ana, what did you think about all of this?

Ana: Before Richard Branson told me that it was true, I thought my mom had been scammed or something. After it was confirmed to me, it took me a long time to process the fact that it was actually going to happen.

Keisha, why did you want your daughter to go with you?

Keisha: She wasn’t my first option! It was my husband, but he said no. At that point, I didn’t even know that my daughter was interested in space. So, I made up my mind that I was going to go alone until she said to me, ‘Mom, if this is something that actually will happen, I’m going to space with you.’

What were your expectations for what space would be like?

Ana: I made sure that I had no expectations going in [and] I was open to the possibility of anything.

Keisha: I was just curious to see for myself – what is space? What is out there? You have an idea of what it’s like through science, through all the pictures, the media, even the fictional films that they have. It creates an imaginary place in your mind. So, you have an idea of, ‘Okay, this is what space is like.’

And what was the reality like?

Keisha: It was just a great escape getting off our planet, a great adventure. To see our Earth just sitting there in this peacefulness, just so Zen – it was just the biggest peace that you can find out there.

So, it sounds like your expectations were really met or perhaps exceeded.

Keisha: Beyond. Beyond. I don’t have the words for it. I wish I could like get the words out about how I actually felt about it. It’s just huge.

What about you, Ana? What was it like being up there?

Ana: My mind was completely quiet for the first time. And although I had no expectations, somehow they were still exceeded. I wasn’t shocked at the way that Earth looked, but I was shocked at the fact that I was able to see it – in all of its glory, with my own eyes, from such a great distance.

Other than shock – which is so understandable! – what were your feeling as you looked back at Earth?

Ana: I remember that the first time I turned and looked out the window, I almost panicked. I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s Earth’. It was just such a huge thing that for a second, I didn’t know how to really process it. I think in the footage, you could see me holding onto my seat belts and eagerly trying to get out because it was like, whoa. It was just unbelievable. My emotions were all over the place. There was no fear, but there a lot of confusion. I was like, ‘Oh my God, is this actually happening? This is Earth? What?’ It was just a lot happening all at once. But also, very peaceful.

Keisha: For me, it was really a place of tranquillity, a place of freedom, a place of connection. My only worry was that when my daughter actually got there, she would panic or something, because this is something that I put myself into – it’s my responsibility. But she did a great job. It was really a spiritual connection and a spiritual place. But I was equally very pleased and happy when I saw my daughter really receiving it.

Going through something like this together must have your relationship. Is it something you talk about a lot at home? Or just with press?

Ana: In regards to talking about it together, we haven’t really, just because I think we’re both taking our separate times to process and let it all sink in. But I definitely think it’s brought us a lot closer together. We can talk about anything together and treat each other honestly. We’re best friends. I honestly just think that it strengthened the bond between us a lot more.

How has it changed you as a person?

Keisha: It has brought me to a place of more surrender, like a deeper surrender. Because, like the whole experience of going to space, the more you surrendered into it, the more you enjoy the feeling and the more that you enjoy the experience. So, I kind of took that into my relationship with Ana, or any relationship, where I’m just surrendering into it without any control, without any expectation, and just being aware and seeing how it will blossom, what will come out of it. When you just let go, your relationship even with your child just gets a little better.

Has it affected how you both see the Earth in any way?

Ana: It was kind of something that was just there. It’s my home, I live here, this is all I know. It just seemed a little less significant to me before I’d seen Earth properly. I’ve always been quite interested in the environment and all of that, but I think this is just really exacerbated that. I’ve seen Earth, and this is something that we need to take care of and just appreciate a lot more.

Keisha: We’ve already heard so many people that are telling everyone you’ve got to take care of your planet, so many people are advocating for this. Even me, here on our island [of Antigua], I help with beach clean-ups and all of that kind of stuff. But being outside and looking back at our planet, I feel even more of a connection with it. And knowing that the small things that we take on in this life, it really doesn’t matter, because we’re just a speck of nothing in this huge Universe.

I thought that would have been scary, but it was very peaceful. Anything out there in the beyond, I feel has to be of a peaceful energy because it’s just peace that you feel out there. We’re the ones that bring fear and all kind of stuff that is not necessary. We have our own confusion within ourselves, and we spread it with each other.

Given that this was such a spiritual, life-changing experience for you both, do you wish space tourism was something that was accessible to everybody?

Ana: I definitely do. It’s something that seems so crazy, but it’s so meaningful. You find yourself being a lot more emotional and open than you think you would. It’s so much deeper than you might think that it is. And I think that other people, if they’re given the opportunity to do this, it’ll be a very mind-opening experience, and I definitely think that that is a huge positive for the future.

I know you’ve said it’s pretty indescribable. But if there were any one word you would use to describe the experience of seeing Earth as you looked back on it, what would that word be?

Ana: One. It really makes you one. It makes you feel very connected and involved and just borderless.

Keisha: My word was going to be unity, but now I’m changing it. It’s peace. (BBC)

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