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Dearest MARK
I tried to send you this message while you were still in space but I
only
received the report that it was not sent, what a jealousy of my
network.
It took an African man to take a brave step of making us all proud.
Welcome back Mark!
BRAVO!!
Manthleng Seoloane.
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Strength within us
The strength within us come out when one of us is let loose to do what
often seems impossible. Freedom is about the small and the big things that
we do for us, for others and with others. Because of individuals like you,
our
country stands proud as a player in the latest development in the life of
mankind. For that, in our hearts you will always mean more than you could
ever imagine.
May God Be With You !
Mandla Manqele
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A Poem
There was a man he had a dream to go into space
He baught a roket a nice one to with lots of frills and lace.
Everyone thought that he was mad and that he would never dear do
it
But he left the earth at half past four and he was'nt scared a bit.
He blasted of into the air and in and out of clouds
when he looked back down towards the earth he saw people
standing in crouds and he heard them say to his dismay what a
crazy fellow.
By Rebecca Walton
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Poam
The wonderful World
Mark Shuttleworth is a famous man with all his gewls and woes'
he lived in a rocket filled with pockets and never opened the door.
When he was out.
He was out and about on his last day on Earth wondering what
space was like.
He pulled out a chocolate and gobbled it up for it was his last
Earth food.
He was now on for take off up up into the sky'he was
talking to mr President on a telephone wire.
That Mark man is crazy everyone roaded to get his rocket out
of this world!!!!!!!
By Nicole Craddock from Greenfield School
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The best letter ever
Hello Mark Shuttle - Worth, this is Dorian van Raalte. I come from
Seaforth College where I am a founder student. I believe our headmaster
used to be your teacher. I would like you to come to come to our new
indepenent school we started in Ballito and talk about how it was in the
space station. I am eight years old . My headmaster's name is Andy Wood.
Do you recognise his name? I would also like to go to space one day and do
a good job like you. I hope you write a book. Do you have a son?
I hope you accept my invitation to visit our school and you can stay at
our farm. Do you like paddling because you can come down the Zinkwazi river
with us.
From Dorian of Wetherley Sugar Estate
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Poam
The wonderful World
Mark Shuttleworth is a famous man with all his gewls and woes'
he lived in a rocket filled with pockets and never opened the door.
When he was out.
He was out and about on his last day on Earth wondering what
space was like.
He pulled out a chocolate and gobbled it up for it was his last
Earth food.
He was now on for take off up up into the sky'he was
talking to mr President on a telephone wire.
That Mark man is crazy everyone roaded to get his rocket out
of this world!!!!!!!
By Nicole Craddock from Greenfield School
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The best letter ever
Hello Mark Shuttle - Worth, this is Dorian van Raalte. I come from
Seaforth College where I am a founder student. I believe our headmaster
used to be your teacher. I would like you to come to come to our new
indepenent school we started in Ballito and talk about how it was in the
space station. I am eight years old . My headmaster's name is Andy Wood.
Do you recognise his name? I would also like to go to space one day and do
a good job like you. I hope you write a book. Do you have a son?
I hope you accept my invitation to visit our school and you can stay at
our farm. Do you like paddling because you can come down the Zinkwazi river
with us.
From Dorian of Wetherley Sugar Estate
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A poem
There was a man who was going to space.
It was his lucky day and he was very happy.
He went to the station into the rocket and blasted off.
The man left the city the country then the earth.
Of corse the man must not be home sick or else he will mess everything up.
Message.
I hope you enjoyed your journey. From Lindile Greenfield Western Cape
School
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Welcome home!
I think both your parents deserve medals for enduring what must have been
a very stressful 10 days - firstly watching you soar into the unknown and
then having to worry about your safety on the way down!
Well done to you for making South Africans beam with pride over the last
10 days. I've followed your website since reading about you in December
while visiting my family in Cape Town - you and the team of the First
African in Space project have done a great job in making us all feel a part
of your mission in space.
Lesley Wright, Hong Kong
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Welcome home !!
I have followed your journey every step of the way, reading every article
from various sources, watching Carte Blanche and DSTV.
Thank you for sharing your experience and your dream with the whole of South
Africa, and thank you for being such an inspiration.
I look forward to hearing more about your experience up in Space.
Best Wishes.
Kirsty
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Best Wishes
Hi Mark
You are a great inspiration to all in South Africa,In the future kids my age
will be learning about you for years to come.
May you return safely.
Kevin JHB
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Well done
To Mark and his whole team. Congratulations on a job well done. First you
took on the Americans at their own game and came out on top and now this!!
It is about time something exciting comes out of Africa.
Wel gedaan aan julle almal
Magda.
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Association of Small Payload Researchers
Dear Mr. Shuttleworth,
On behalf of the Association of Small Payload Researchers (ASPR) I
would like to thank you for your inspirational project. We have had the
pleasure of speaking and corresponding with members of your science team.
Our organization is currently constructing a scanning probe microscope to be
placed aboard the space station.
Your efforts serve as proof that people can come together to achieve the
dream of spaceflight. It has fueled
our spirits as we embark on the final design stages of our payload. We
hope to ask your team numerous questions after the mission with the aim of
providing a significant follow up to your experiments.
Amongst our research community we salute you as
the world's first Educational Commercial Cosmonaut ECC. Our association
plans to review your flight and honor your accomplishments at our next
meeting this Summer.
Good luck and Godspeed Mark Shuttleworth.
Sincerely,
Rolando M. Branly
Assistant Professor (Broward Community College)
Director (Association of Small Payload Researchers)
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
United States of America
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I waved to you
Dear Mark
I am completely in awe of what you are doing, and the way you are doing
it. You have inspired the youth of South Africa and all of us with such a
sense of optimism by your joyful, reach for your dreams .....but work hard
for it..... attitude.
On Wednesday evening I went to Rondebosch Common, and saw the beautiful
ISS spinning by - I waved to you ........and felt a deep spiritual
connection with all of humankind. Thank you!
Love
Margie
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Believing in a dream
Mark,
Not too sure where I start, but here goes.
On Friday night (26/4) I sat on my balcony, with a glass of wine in my hand
gazing at the moon, there was a reddish haze surrounding it, and it looked
sad (rather odd to say, I know!) but to say it was breathtaking would be
putting it mildly.
Then I thought of you, wondering just what view you had, did it still have
that red haze, did it look just as sad!, exactly what could you see, what
were you feeling. To be honest I was jealous as I sat there living my
mundane life, but in the same instance it gave me a feeling that everything
was possible, if I just unleash my dreams.
Amazingly enough as you get older your dreams are pushed to the back of your
mind as you chase that elusive thing called wealth. So you get a job and
start "running with the lemmings", as in a society such as ours we want to
prove something make people aware that what we do is important, we are
important!. So we want jobs which a bigger and better to show those people,
but all the while we are loosing sight of our dreams, and in essence what
made us the people that we are today.
We dared to dream as a child, yet as we enter adulthood we tend to push
those dreams to the back of our mind. So this e-mail is just to say thank
you for showing me that a person must live for there dreams in the hopes of
one day finally achieving them.
It may seem like such a small thing to you, but I am sure you have
re-awakened many a person's dreams of reaching for the stars.
Thanx
Ashleigh
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Bephu the Space Bear
Hi guys,
Just a short note on a little fella who has been waiting at the ISS for
some two months now! Thanks to Mark's generosity, Dale Cupido's tenacity,
Deputy President Jacob Zuma's 'Space Diplomacy' and the spirit of children
everywhere on Planet Earth, Bephu the Bear will spread his message of hope
for all his little friends below who have no parents anymore because of
HIV/AIDS.
Bephu almost didn't make it into Space because the Russian Space Agency
authorities felt his little sequinned jacket was too dangerous, as loose
sequins could be ingested by the cosmonauts or get into equipment. Thanks to
Dale he had someone unstitch the hundreds of little sequins and Bephu was
able to fulfill his mission.
His salute when Mark meets up with him is as South African as pap and
wors ... SAWUBONA! See you tomorrow Mark
Bephu
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Hi Mark
Hi Mark
What is it like in space and what experiments are you doing? We all want to
know which house you were in. I wish it was stansbury. The launch was
very exciting to watch but your mother looked very worried. I hope you
bring the capsule to our school.
Alyd Davies
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Space experiment for women
Dear Mark,
Just wondering..............does weightlessness do anything for (gravity
induced) wrinkles and sagging bums? If so, is there room on the next trip
for some middle aged girls!?! Book our spot!
Seriously though we admire your courage and endeavour - a flag-bearer of
note for South Africa! Well done!
Best Wishes,
South African Women's Association
Hong Kong
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Grey Junior salute you!
Dear Mark
You have made us proud to be South Africans! Perhaps one day we'll also
be famous - for now, we're going to dream BIG!
We're thinking of you and pray you'll return safely to earth to be able to
share more of your adventure with us.
Have fun!
With love
Jordan, Tristan, Mitchell, Jean, Jonathan, Oliver, Peter, Mabaso, Liam,
David Y., Joshua, Teagan, Dylan, Sethu, Giovanni, Ryk, Keagan, Ryan,
Jonathan M., Lloyd, Ashton, David B., Chuma, Cuan, Rushil and Mrs Ann
Easton.
Grey Junior School, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
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Viva Mark Viva!
Hi Mark, our very own Afronaut!
We are so proud of you, I had a huge lump in my throat when I watched you
guys blasting off. My youngster, Siyabonga (8) has not stopped talking about
you and has now decided that he also wants to be an astronaut when he grows
up...You're a special guy and I don't think I have felt this proud to be a
South African since Madiba was inaugurated or when he handed the World Cup
to Francois Pienaar.
Viva Mark! Viva!
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God Bless
God bless and have a blast! We know you will have a successful mission
and a safe return!
Best wishes from your old school teacher
Dalene Swanson
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Taxi driver to the Moon!
From Luderitz Bay, Namibia, come warmest envious greetings
from one who before he could spell "astronaut" wanted to be a
taxi driver to the Moon. You make it seem no longer impossible -
for the next generation. I watched Sputnik over Joburg in 1957
aged 12, and have been longing ever since.
All the best wishes
Hamba gahle, and happy returns.
We salute you!
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That lucky B------!
Until a week ago, I didn't even know who Mark Shuttleworth was!
I only found out because every time the TV was on I would hear my
14 year old son say "that lucky bastard!" I never hear him swear
so I thought this really had to be something and that's how I came
to know about the big fuss.
Mark, you are admired by a really special 14 year old boy who
happens to have a Learning Disability called Asperger Syndrome,
intelligent kid, he averages 96% and yet there are no schools for
him in South Africa as he lacks social skills. I do know however
that he is clever enough to know who you are and what you are doing
up in space and how fortunate you are.
Good luck and God speed
Marlene and Matthew
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Good luck from Fish Hoek Primary
Hello Mark
My name is Wayne Hattingh . I am 12 I sent you a email to wish
you GOOD LUCK on your trip to space. It sounds unreal. I don't
know how you can not be scared to go to space I must be honest I
would be too scared to go to space. So when you go to space on
the 25th I will wish you the best wishes .
Bye bye
Wayne
Many thanks to Wayne, Calvin Nicholls, Brandon Howes,
Marc Coxon and everyone else who from Fish Hoek Primary School
who sent their best wishes to Mark. We will make sure he
receives all your letters when he returns from his mission.
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Drop in the ocean
Dear Mark
There is a message board on news24 where I posted a small message
about the beauty of space. I can think what it says is that it brings
you closer to God. It must be awe-inspiring to see the world as one
and the darkness and light beyond it. Just imagine if you could hear
the thoughts of the world as well. I send blessings for your unique
voyage and wish you all of the best on this ground-breaking trip.
Maybe there will come a time for pioneers to go to other worlds,
if so - I will be there.
Thanks for your inspiration to us all.
Cindy van der Merwe
Cape Town
/\/*********\/\
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Best wishes to Mark!
Hi Mark
Can't believe that you're actually DOING IT -
congratulations and travel well.
One of the regrets of my life (I'm a 60 year
old granny) is that I will be long dead by the time
space travel becomes a casual normal every-day type thing.
I grew up on SF and wish I could also experience space
flight - so do it for all of us who never will!
Love and peace
A M Smith
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More Wetpups Wishes
Hello Mark
I am in grade 4 at W.P.P.S. and I really wish I was in your place, flying
up in space. I know you were head boy at our school and your name is in big
gold letters on our wooden head boy board. I hope you have a successful
flight.
Daniel Linegar
Western Province Preparatory School
Cape Town
A big thanks to James Christopher, Geoffrey Toplis, Jonty Arnott, John
Perrott and everyone else from W.P.P.S. who wrote to wish Mark luck on his
flight. We will make sure that he gets to read each and every one of your
letters when he returns!
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Letter and Wishes for The Shuttleworth Family
Dear Mark and Family,
The family name says it all. None of us can imagine what
you must all be going through in these last couple of days
before blast off. I am sure I speak for many when I say
best of luck to you all. It is awesome to being watching
someone make a dream, which is out of this world, come true.
It gives hope and vision to the rest of us.
Mark, you are living proof that there is nothing wrong
with dreaming, lets just make sure we all make our dreams
come true. Have a wonderful trip, and look forward to reading
and hearing your stories and reports, in the Media, in the days
to come.
God Bless to you all.
One of your biggest Fans
Chris Thomas
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I'll have to stand for second best
Hi Mark
Man, I wanted to be the first African in space! No, really.
My dream is to one day go to NASA and become an astronaut.
However, I want to go to the moon, so I can still be the first
African on the moon...
I got goosebumps when I watched Carte Blanche tonight.
You know why? Because whenever I tell someone I want to go
to the moon they either laugh or tell me to dream on.
There is a handful of people that told me to follow my dream
and you have proven to me that dreams CAN come true!
Thanks for making me believe I can do anything I set my mind to.
Today, i am proud to say I am African!
Jana de Villiers
Swakopmund
Namibia
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The Most Amazing Guy
I know of no greater man alive to inspire all of us. Not just the
adventure in space but all he has done and created since leaving college.
You are the definition of what being human should be.
Be audacious. Be lucky.
With utmost admiration,
Will
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Very proud of you
Hi Mark,
I think that by now you know how proud each & every south African
is of you. Wow! The first African in space. I wish I was going up
there as well. I have always dreamed of travelling into space.
Good luck & God bless. We all know that you will be successful in
your experiments & make it known that South Africans can do it!
From
Shahista Ramanand, Grade 11, Durban
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Durbanville Prep's good wishes
Dear Mark
The children of Durbanville Prep are very proud of
you and very excited about following your journey into
space. We wish you and the rest of the crew God's speed
and grace on this amazing adventure.
When you return to Durbanville we would love to meet
you and hear what you have to say. Our motto for the
year is "Seize the Day" and we believe that you have
done just that. You are an inspiration to all youngsters
worldwide.
Thank you for allowing us to share in your adventure.
Best wishes
Grade 1's, Grade 2's and Grade 3's of Durbanville Prep School.
(and from their teachers too)
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Vat hom fluffy!!!
Dear Uncle Mark
We wish you a very successful trip into space! We wish we could
be with you as our whole room is done out in astronaut things.
Our mommy even painted clouds all over our ceiling last year with
the whole galaxy mapped out with glow-in-the-dark stars! We will
be watching out for you in the real sky... not our play play sky
in our room, otherwise we all will be in big trouble!
Thank you for being so brave so that we have a real African hero in space!
Safe landing.
Stuart and Geoff Roodt (twins aged 5)
Pretoria
RSA
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Captain courageous on his first mission
Dear Mark
Patriotism and the rememberance of things that is past will
carry you on your journey through space. To be a proud South African
is an honour and a privilege. By embracing diversity we will find peace.
My wish for you is that your journey is a safe one and everything
you expect it to be. We are inspred by your achievements.
Have a good one.
Tracy-Lee, Carlos, Candice and Samantha Neves
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Congratulations Mark
Hi Mark,
It is about time an African went to space. I am proud of your huge
investment in this trip to space. I am
not South African but I happy for you, man. At least South Africa has
something to smile about after all
the misery in cricket, rugby and soccer :-)
Ambrose Twebaze
Swaziland
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Lighting the way
Hello Mark,
I don't think you can have any idea how proud we are of our first astronaut,
and I am sure that I speak on behalf of every South African.
I had thought that maybe as a supreme gesture we could organise that one
evening when you are up above us here, we could get every electrical power
station in the country to flick the switch, as it were, and give you one
huge wink! Wouldn't that be terrific?
Come back safely,
Margi in Knysna
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Aspiring me to do the same
Howzit! Good luck for the flight. Godspeed!
My name is Stuart Holmes I am a South African studying in England. I am
currently studying for my A-levels and after that i plan to study an MENG in
Aerospace engineering. Maybe after that who knows maybe an astronaut one
day. Mark Shuttleworth has definitly inspired me to strive for more in
life.
PS: I use to stay down the road from Mark in Durbanville.
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Goooooood luck!!
Hi Mark!
First of all, my name is Vinca (Vingka). I am 11yrs.
I love science and my hobbys are swimming, I do it three
days a week for an hour, and gymastics two days a week.
I wish you luck.
From Vinca.
P.S. You are so so so so so x100,000,000 cool.
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Good luck and godspeed
From one space junky to another.
Mark, we wish you all the luck in the world (and outer space).
We know how how you feel. We have also just successfully launched our first
very own communications satellite on Tuesday 16th.
Regards from all at Newskies Satellites, Boeing Lockheed Martin and
ArianeSpace.
Martin Brasg
General Manager, Africa Region
New Skies Satellites Ltd
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Wetpups wishes
Dear Mark,
... especially from the teachers who taught you (Mrs Mac and Mrs P), as well
as all the present staff and pupils at WPPS, our thoughts and prayers are
with you.
We are incredibly proud of you and your amazing achievements (Mrs Mac is now
dictating this to me and she says especially her!). The excitement amongst
the boys is tangible and Mrs Mac also says that you can take the credit for
major disruption of her lessons as she is constantly faced with a barrage of
questions about you. Were you clever? Did you ever get Violet? One question
she could not answer was how you got the gap between your teeth as it is not
evident in your school photographs!
Mark, our very best wishes follow you.
Glenda Irvine
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Bon Voyage
Hi Mark
I am getting really excited for you! You have achieved so much and deserve
this wonderful opportunity. I'll be watching you from my lounge and will
have the SA flag out. Bon Voyage!
Best wishes
Karin
(Johannesburg, South Africa)
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Life in space?
Hello Mark
My name is Michael and I am in Grade one at Durban Preparatory
School and my sister Sarah is at Joyce Broadhead Pre Primary.
We both live in Glenwood Durban with our parents. I am six and Sarah
is four. I am doing a speech contest at my school and my speech is on
rockets and how people go into space and walk on the moon. I have also
told them in my speech that you are the first African, South African
to go into space. Hope you have fun in space. Mark, is there any
alien/animals/people living in space?
I hope you can come and visit our school when you return.
Lots of love
Michael and Sarah Neary - Durban
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Simply put
Well done, firstly to Mark, then to the team I am discovering on the
African In Space site.
Your venture is an inspirational one in a world apparently hell-bent on
"dumbing-down". It fills me with joy to see a commitment to the sciences
equal to the fervor normally reserved for sport and flavour-of-the-day pop
stars.
May you all realise success beyond your already ambitious dreams. We
should all aspire to convert our achievements into greater things, as Mark
is so clearly doing.
Thank you all,
Hilton Hawkes
Video Editor
ICON Post Production
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Nerds unite!
The Nerds and Nerdettes of the Contractors and Consultants Special Interest Group of the Computer Society of South Africa (CCSIG of CSSA) would like to wish Mark a safe and (moerse) speedy journey back home.
We would also like to express our envy at the prospect of Mark not just going into Space but using cool gadgets and looking like Bruce Willis (and being just as loaded) at the same time - jeez - how many babes *do* you want to attract?(Imagine sitting at a bar (in Welkom, nogal) and a guy walks up to you - Hi! I'm Mark , young, dashing, intelligent, a billionaire, all-round philanthropist and an Astronaut. Ja right, Boet, and I'm Cindy Crawford).
Seriously, all the best. We will be following the mission and hoping for a safe return as well as success with the experiments and tests.
Good Luck.
Nadine Grönum
Chairman of CCSIG
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From the country of Iain M Banks
Just a wee quick note to say the best of luck to Mark and his great adventure.
I met him some years ago on a science forum in London (twice) called LIYSF - a fab time was had by all it came as little suprise to hear of his success and ambition. We even get good media coverage here!!
Soft landings and happy views
Ewan Jack
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High praise
Thanks for all the news on Mark Shuttleworth. He is a modern-day hero and
I really enjoy the website. We need this sort of positive thinking and
action in the world of today.
Many many thanks.
Cheryl McCrindle
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Original fan
Greetings Mark
I have been following your mission very closely over the past few months,
and still can not believe that we will soon be having an African, but more
importantly a South African finally in space. Well done, on living your
dream, and making South Africa so proud!
I was one of the first to hear of your intended mission. I was filming a
news item on Madiba last year, when he decided to announce to students, that
you were going to be the second space tourist. I could hear in his voice,
the great respect and joy he has for you, in achieving this for our country.
You are truly a great ambassador to our great nation. I wish you all the
best, may God's blessing be with you, as you embark on this life-changing
adventure.
God speed my friend,
Hakuna matata
Dave
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Your Thoughts Here! Just drop an email to the
editors...
While we can not publish all the letters we receive for Mark here,
we will take every care to keep your messages safe and make sure that
Mark receives every one of them. Thank you for your support!
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