Iranian-American woman in space
{{date|September 18, 2006}}
{{Correction|explanation=Baikonur is incorrectly described in the article as being in Russia. Baikonur is a city in Kazakhstan leased and administered by Russia.|date=October 22, 2006}}

Anousheh Ansari, 40, an [[Iran|Iranian]]-American became the first female paying passenger astronaut today. Paying $20 million [USD] for the trip, she replaced a [[w:Japan|Japanese]] businessman who decided not to take the trip due to medical reasons. The [[Russia|Russian]] made [[w:Soyuz Rocket|Soyuz Rocket]] lifted off at 04:10 GMT from {{w|Baikonur, Russia|Baikonur, Russia}}. 

Ansari is accompanying Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin and [[United States|American]] astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, who are joining German astronaut Thomas Reiter on the [[International Space Station|International Space Station]].

Ansari is a businesswoman in the telecom industry and put up the Ansari X Prize for the first privately funded trip to space won by Burt Rutan of Scaled Composites and his team.

The mission is expected to dock with the ISS on Wednesday.

== Sources ==

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5355022.stm
|title= Lift off for woman space tourist
|author=
|pub=BBC News Online
|date=September 18, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://spaceblog.xprize.org/2006/09/12/the-road-to-baikonur/|title=Anousheh Ansari Space Blog|author=Anousheh Ansari|pub=Blog site|date=September 18, 2006}}

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[[Category:Space]]
[[Category:Russia]]
[[Category:Iran]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[category:Middle East]]
[[Category:Soyuz programme]]
[[Category:International Space Station]]
[[Category:Science and technology]]
[[Category:Baikonur Cosmodrome]]
[[Category:Roscosmos]]
[[Category:Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Asia]]

[[de:Erste Touristin im Weltraum: Anousheh Ansari auf dem Weg zur ISS]]
[[ru:Старт «Союза ТМА-9»]]
Anousheh Ansari, 40, an Iranian-American became the first female paying passenger astronaut today. Paying $20 million USD for the trip, she replaced a Japanese businessman who decided not to take the trip due to medical reasons. The Russian made Soyuz Rocket lifted off at 04:10 GMT from Baikonur, Russia. 

Ansari is accompanying Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin and American astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, who are joining German astronaut Thomas Reiter on the International Space Station.

Ansari is a businesswoman in the telecom industry and put up the Ansari X Prize for the first privately funded trip to space won by Burt Rutan of Scaled Composites and his team.

The mission is expected to dock with the ISS on Wednesday.


category:Middle East


de:Erste Touristin im Weltraum: Anousheh Ansari auf dem Weg zur ISS
Space Russia Iran Europe Soyuz programme International Space Station Science and technology Baikonur Cosmodrome Roscosmos Kazakhstan Asia