15 years since success of the first ‘Afronaut’

fuel ignited to propel 28-year-old Capetonian Mark Shuttleworth on a nine-minute journey into orbit – and into history.

Crammed into the cockpit of the Soyuz TM-34 with Shuttleworth, as it blasted off in a textbook launch at 8.26am SA time, were Russian commander Yuri Gidzenko, 40, and Italian flight engineer Roberto Vittori, 37. Around half-an-hour later, a spokeswoman for mission control said that they had contacted the astronauts, who were feeling fine.

“We’ve just had a communications link-up with the cosmonauts. They are feeling well and everything is going according to plan,” the official, Vera Medvedkova, said.

They are due to dock at 9.57am SA time on Saturday with the International Space Station, where they will spend eight days before landing back on the Kazakhstan steppe on May 5.

Shuttleworth rose at 5am after four hours’ sleep, had a light breakfast and left for the 40km drive to the launch pad after signing the door of his room at the Hotel Cosmonaut, according to tradition.

Before taking the lift up the gantry to the cramped Soyuz capsule atop the 49-metre rocket, the crew members waved to onlookers for a few seconds.

They then had an uncomfortable two-hour wait, on their backs with knees drawn up to their chests, before the launch.

Nelson Mandela led South Africans in cheering on Shuttleworth.

“We wish him all the luck,” Mandela said in Johannesburg.

Two days later, contact was made between outer space and the Free State city of Bloemfontein, when President Thabo Mbeki spoke to Shuttleworth.

The president praised the “Afronaut” for his contribution to science and Africa’s renaissance.

“Yes, ambassador, how are you?” Mbeki started the 10-minute conversation, broadcast live at the Free State rugby stadium.

Shuttleworth described his journey so far as very exciting, saying the flight had been smooth and everything was going according to plan.

“I have never seen anything as beautiful as Earth from space.”

Mbeki expressed South Africa’s pride at Shuttleworth’s efforts, saying they would go a long way towards inspiring young people to take up subjects like engineering, mathematics and science.

The president then toasted Shuttleworth with a glass of champagne, saying: “I am sure this will go down in our history as one of those moments where we made quite a leap forward.”

Mark Shuttleworth