Hong Kong's first female pilot set for space journey

Latest Updated by 2006-02-20 10:12:56

SOCIALITE Perveen Crawford, who became Hong Kong's first female pilot in 1995, is no stranger to pushing the limits. But in 2008 she hopes to go one further - carrying the Bauhinia flag beyond the final frontier.

Her quest started two months ago at a poolside party at Cyberport for the launch of Virgin Atlantic flights to Beijing, with Crawford keen to meet host Richard Branson.
Looking to catch his attention, she approached and introduced herself as Hong Kong's first female pilot, the Sunday edition of the South China Morning Post reported.
Sensing her enthusiasm and adventurous spirit, Richard shot back: "How would you like to become Hong Kong's first astronaut?"

"My eyes lit up," Crawford recalled. "Ever since I was a young girl, I loved everything to do with flying, the skies, space, birds anything with wings. I have always dreamed of being a pilot. To be offered a trip up to space is way beyond my imagination."

Crawford will join the likes of film stars Join Travolta and Victoria Principal and pop star Moby as the world's first 100 private astronauts to go into space, dubbed the Founders.
The group will travel to New Mexico in 2008 for an intensive two-week training course to acclimatize to G-force and floating in zero gravity, undergo simulator training, listen to lectures and have a medical assessment.

The Founders will then board the VSS Enterprise, part of the Virgin Galactic fleet, and blast off to an altitude of 100,000 meters, the internationally recognized boundary for space, before floating back down to Earth.

Crawford says she does not quite know what to expect but is certain it is going to be the ride of her life.

The ride is not cheap, though perhaps less than some might expect - US$200,000.
Crawford's husband, John, thinks she is insane.

But she is unconcerned, saying: "My husband and kids don't think it is completely safe. But I told them it is more dangerous to cross the road in Hong Kong. Beside, I am not afraid of death. I would rather die and float gracefully in space than be buried on Earth."

Editor: Wing By: Source:Szdaily web edition

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