PATTEN'S GIANT LEAP FOR IRELAND

ENGINEER READY TO BLAST OFF ON SPACE MISSION

- BY DEREK FOLEY

TRAILBLAZER Norah Patten is about to boldly go where no one from Ireland has gone before - and become the first Irish person in space.

The aeronautical engineer from Ballina, Co Mayo, will be part of a three-woman crew on Virgin Galactic's spacecraft, due to launch next year.

She told this newspaper: "Sometimes impossible dreams come true, if you put in the work."

Patriotic Patten is bringing something special from home with her on the landmark journey - an Irish memento to mark the groundbreaking moment in our history.

"Our Irish heritage, arts, music, culture is something I am very focused on including in the flight," she said.

"I won't announce what I'll be bringing until closer to the flight. But as a national first, the Irish piece represents an enormous opportunity. I don't know exactly how much room or how much stuff I'll be able to bring, but we're definitely looking at music, art, the cultural side."

The astronaut was talking after partnering with Aer Lingus for the next two years as she flies between home in Ireland and America ahead of the mission. Dr Patten said her interest in going to space was sparked after a school visit to NASA space research centre in Cleveland, Ohio, at age 11.

"I went to St Oliver Plunkett's National School in Ballina and then to St Mary's secondary, an all girls school, and I had Miss Ryan and then Miss Leonard in science, who were brilliant.