Anousheh Ansari Co-founder and head of Prodea systems, Inc. Date of Birth: 12.09.1966 Country: USA

Biography of Anousheh Ansari

Anousheh Ansari, an American of Iranian origin, is the co-founder and CEO of Prodea Systems, Inc. She was born in Mashhad, Iran, and later moved to Tehran with her parents, where she spent her childhood and youth. In 1984, she immigrated to the United States with her parents, who wanted to provide her with a good education and the opportunity to pursue a career in science.

Ansari earned her bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering from George Mason University and her master's degree from George Washington University. After completing her studies, she found employment at MCI, Inc., where she met her husband, Hamid Ansari. They got married in 1991.

In 1993, Anousheh, Hamid, and his brother Amir founded Telecom Technologies, Inc. (TTI), with Anousheh serving as the company's CEO. In 2000, they sold TTI to Sonus Networks, Inc. for $550 million. However, shortly after the sale, TTI's stock plummeted, leading to Sonus Networks challenging the deal and accusing Ansari of insider trading.

Anousheh is a member of the board of trustees of the X Prize Foundation. Her family has made significant investments in the foundation and became the title sponsor of the Ansari X Prize, which was awarded for the development of the first privately funded, suborbital spacecraft. The prize was won by the Tier One project, creators of the SpaceShipOne, on October 4, 2004.

In February 2006, Ansari's investment firm, Prodea Systems, Inc., announced a partnership with Space Adventures, Ltd. and the Russian Federal Space Agency to create a fleet of suborbital spacecraft for commercial use.

Anousheh is fluent in Persian, English, and French. She also learned conversational Russian while preparing for her spaceflight. Originally, she was chosen as a backup for Japanese businessman Daisuke Enomoto, who was supposed to be the fourth space tourist. However, Enomoto's flight was canceled for medical reasons on August 21, 2006, and Ansari was included in the primary crew.

On September 18, 2006, at 4:09 UTC, the Soyuz TMA-9 spacecraft, carrying the crew composed of Mikhail Tyurin, Michael Lopez-Alegria, and Anousheh Ansari, successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Ansari became the first female space tourist, the first Muslim woman, and the first Iranian in space. On September 20, at 5:21, the spacecraft successfully docked with the aft port of the Zvezda module of the International Space Station.

During her eight days on the station, Anousheh conducted several scientific experiments, primarily focused on studying the effects of space radiation and microgravity on the crew and microorganisms. She also became the first person to write a blog while in space.

On September 29, at 1:13, Anousheh returned to Earth aboard the Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft, along with cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov and astronaut Jeffrey Williams. The landing was successful in the designated area in Kazakhstan. Despite concerns raised by Lopez-Alegria about bringing tourists to a space station that was still under construction, Ansari's work on the station received positive reviews from the rest of the crew.

Before her flight, Anousheh had planned to display both the American flag and the old Iranian flag on her spacesuit as symbols of the two countries that shaped her upbringing. However, the governments of the United States and Russia recommended she only display the American flag due to potential political implications. Ansari followed the recommendation and incorporated the colors of the Iranian flag into the emblem on her spacesuit.