"By reaching this dream I've had since childhood, I hope to tangibly demonstrate to young people all over the world that there is no limit to what they can accomplish," said Anousheh Ansari, chairman and co-founder of Prodea Systems, Inc., a revolutionary digital home technology company that is sponsoring her efforts. "I'm thankful to both Space Adventures and Dice-K Enomoto for providing me this opportunity."

"We are pleased to announce this historic event, the world's first female space tourist, and are overjoyed that Anousheh is ready for flight. She has been training diligently for several months now and has been certified for flight," said Eric Anderson, president and CEO of Space Adventures. "We celebrate Anousheh's dedication in her spaceflight preparations and wish her a successful and awe-inspiring mission."