In 2006, Anousheh Ansari captured headlines around the world as the first female private space explorer and the first astronaut of Iranian descent.

Ms. Ansari is a living example of the American dream. After immigrating to the United States as a teen who spoke no English, she went on to become co-founder of several technology companies. To help drive commercialization of the space industry, Ms. Ansari’s and her family provided sponsorship for the Ansari X Prize, a $10 million cash award for the first private organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space twice within two weeks. The prize was awarded in 2004 to Scaled Composites for their craft, SpaceShipOne, which is on display in the National Mall building.

Ms. Ansari has devoted her life to stimulating grassroots enthusiasm about the virtues of space exploration; to inspire youth, and especially girls, around the world to pursue their dreams; and to promote peace and understanding among nations as the world’s first Space Ambassador.

On Saturday, November 1, Ms. Ansari will speak about her six months of astronaut training and experiences on the International Space Station as a member of Expedition 14.

In late December 1968, the Apollo 8 crew of Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders became the first humans to leave Earth and journey to another world.   They spent 20 hours orbiting the Moon, and then made the flight back home.

In lunar orbit on Christmas Eve, the crew delivered to a world audience a moving TV broadcast in which they read from the Book of Genesis. During the mission, the three astronauts witnessed something no other human had ever seen--Earth rising over the lunar surface.  Captured on camera, this image has become one of the most well-known of the last forty years.

Apollo 8's success paved the way for Apollo 11, the first human landing on the Moon.

All three astronauts will be on hand to share stories of their careers and their momentous mission.