A Christchurch real estate agent hoping to be the first New Zealand woman in space has undergone two days rigorous training to prepare for her journey.
Jackie Maw has booked her place in one of Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic journeys, expected to be in late 2009 or early
2010.
The three-hour trip, which costs her $280,000, will take her 112km above the earth, where she will go from nought to 5633km in 10 seconds.
In preparation she has done an intense two-day astronaut training course at the National Aerospace Training and Research (Nastar) centre in Philadelphia.
Ms Maw said the centrifuge training was the most intense sensation she had ever experienced .
"Pulling six Gs was pretty full on, but the good news was we all `flew' through our training and received our wings at graduation."
She met others on the course, including a Hollywood director and an IT couple from Britain, which was a lot of fun, she said.
"We bonded really well as a group and both Virgin Galactic and Nastar looked after us very well.
"It was fascinating for me to be at a facility that trains jet fighter pilots and to understand how they do that."
Ms Maw said she felt privileged to be part of the pioneering movement into private space travel .
When she finished the last of her university papers, which would enable her to buy her own real estate agency, she intended to sit her private pilots licence.
"I've always had a passion for flight," she said.
Ms Maw would do a Zero G flight next time she returned to the US to learn more about coping with weightlessness.
Virgin Galactic was launched in 2005, and it is expected its maiden voyage will take place in early 2009.
The trips will launch six passengers and two crew from the Mojave desert, near Los Angeles, into space.
A Christchurch man who has changed his name by deed poll to Mark Rocket, was the first New Zealander to snap up a ticket, booking his trip to space in May 2006.
- NZPA
