An 80-year old former Olympian with Parkinson’s disease would be one of three passengers on board Virgin Galactic’s first space tourism flight when it blasts off on Thursday.

Jon Goodwin, from Newcastle, would join Keisha Schahaff, 46, and her daughter Anastatia Mayers, 18, who is studying physics in Aberdeen, on the VSS Unity for the 90-minute trip.

The two women would be the first mother and daughter to make a trip to space after winning a coveted place in a prize draw.

Goodwin secured his seat 18 years ago after buying a 250,000 dollars ticket.

It would be taking off at 4 p.m. (1500 GMT) from New Mexico in the U.S., in the mothership VMS Eve and VSS Unity.

It would separate and take them into sub-orbital space, where they would briefly experience weightlessness, while looking back at Earth.

The trip would raise funds for Space for Humanity, a non-profit group which seeks to send ordinary citizens into space to give them a grander perspective on the challenges facing Earth.

The three would be joined by astronaut instructor Beth Moses.

In June Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic successfully completed the company’s first commercial spaceflight, taking Italian astronauts into space to conduct a number of scientific experiments.

The company is calling the first private astronaut mission on Thursday Galactic 02.