Anousheh Ansari(1966 — ?)
Anousheh Ansari
États-Unis, Iran
8 min read
First Iranian woman and first private space tourist to travel to space in 2006. An Iranian-American businesswoman, she funded the Ansari X Prize to encourage space tourism.
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- 2006: first spaceflight aboard Soyuz TMA-9, stay aboard the ISS
- First Iranian woman to travel to space
- Co-founder of Telecom Technologies Inc., sold for $750 million
- Lead donor of the Ansari X Prize ($10 million) for private space tourism
- Kept a space diary read by millions of people
Works & Achievements
Telecommunications company co-founded with her husband Hamid and brother-in-law Amir Ansari. Sold for $750 million in 2000, it generated the fortune that enabled the family to fund the X Prize and her spaceflight.
A major donation from the Ansari family to fund the $10 million prize awarded to the first private reusable spacecraft. This initiative had a lasting impact on the development of commercial space tourism.
A historic eight-day spaceflight during which Ansari became the first self-funded woman in space and conducted scientific experiments on stem cells. She simultaneously broke barriers of gender, ethnicity, and access to space.
A logbook written in Persian, French, and English from the ISS, read by millions of internet users. The first real-time civilian account from Earth orbit, it brought the space experience closer to the general public.
Technology company co-founded by Ansari, specializing in connected home services and the Internet of Things. It reflects her ability to reinvent herself as an entrepreneur in emerging technologies.
An autobiography translated into several languages in which Ansari recounts her childhood in Iran, her immigration to the United States, the founding of her companies, and her journey into space. An inspiring book for young readers, particularly girls drawn to science.
Anecdotes
In September 2006, Anousheh Ansari launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard Soyuz TMA-9, becoming the first Iranian woman and the first self-funded space tourist to travel to the International Space Station. She paid around $20 million for this dream trip, which required six months of training in Russia.
Ansari was selected as the primary passenger after the original candidate, Japanese businessman Daisuke Enomoto, had to withdraw from the flight for medical reasons just weeks before launch. She had agreed to train simultaneously as his backup, ready to seize the opportunity if it arose.
From the International Space Station, Anousheh Ansari kept a real-time blog, writing posts in Persian, French, and English. This space diary was accessible to millions of internet users and was one of the first instances of direct communication between a civilian in space and the general public.
The Ansari family had financially contributed to the X Prize (Ansari X Prize), a $10 million award designed to encourage the development of the first reusable private spacecraft. It was Scaled Composites and their SpaceShipOne that won the prize in 2004, paving the way for the era of commercial space tourism.
During her eight-day stay aboard the ISS, Ansari participated in scientific experiments studying the effects of microgravity on stem cells and motion sickness. Despite experiencing space sickness in her first few days, she fully committed to the scientific program planned for her.
Primary Sources
I finally made it to space! Looking at Earth from up here, all borders disappear. I can see no boundaries, no conflicts — only the beautiful blue planet we all share.
When I was a child in Iran, I used to lie on my back in our courtyard and stare at the stars, dreaming of one day touching them. Nobody told me that was impossible for a girl from Mashhad.
The Ansari family's generous sponsorship ensures that the $10 million Ansari X Prize will reward the first privately funded team to build and launch a spacecraft capable of carrying three people to 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface, twice within two weeks.
Flight participant Anousheh Ansari completed the full planned scientific program, including experiments on microgravity and space motion sickness, during her eight-day stay aboard the International Space Station.
Key Places
Anousheh Ansari's hometown, Iran's second-largest city and a major Shia pilgrimage site. It was here that she spent her childhood, gazing at the stars from the family courtyard before fleeing the Islamic Revolution.
The Russian cosmonaut training center located near Moscow, where Ansari underwent six months of intensive preparation — Soyuz simulators, water survival training, microgravity adaptation — before her flight to the ISS.
The world's oldest space launch facility, from which Ansari lifted off on September 18, 2006, aboard Soyuz TMA-9. It was from this same cosmodrome that Gagarin had been launched in 1961.
The multinational orbital laboratory where Ansari spent eight days in September–October 2006. There she conducted scientific experiments and wrote the first blog ever posted from space.
A suburb of Dallas where Ansari settled after immigrating to the United States, and where she co-founded her telecommunications companies. It was the birthplace of the entrepreneurial empire that allowed her to fund her dream of reaching space.
The university where Ansari earned her master's degree in electrical engineering before launching her career in telecommunications. Her strong scientific background was a decisive factor in her being accepted as a participant in a space mission.
