Editing Anousheh Ansari (section)

== Early life ==
Born Anousheh Raissyan in [[Mashhad]], [[Imperial State of Iran|Iran]], she and her parents moved to [[Tehran]] shortly afterward.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ece.gmu.edu/alumni_news.htm |title=Alumni news |publisher=[[George Mason University]] |date=2001 |access-date=2006-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901092159/http://ece.gmu.edu/alumni_news.htm |archive-date=2006-09-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref> When Ansari was six years old, her parents divorced.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Young |first=Nicola |date=2019-07-29 |title=Anousheh Ansari: From Space Tourist to Entrepreneur – Hayat Life |url=https://hayatlife.com/2019/07/29/anousheh-ansari-space-tourist/,%20https://hayatlife.com/2019/07/29/anousheh-ansari-space-tourist/ |access-date=2023-09-06 |language=en-CA}}</ref> Ansari has a sister, Atousa Raissyan, who is five years younger.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Maher |first=Heather |title=Reaching Out To The Stars |language=en |work=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/1071358.html#:~:text=A%20Childhood%20Passion,and%20works%20at%20Prodea%20Systems. |access-date=2023-09-06}}</ref> At the age of six, Ansari would visit her grandparents and sleep overnight on the balcony, as there was no air conditioning. Ansari would gaze at the night sky and was very curious about space.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dare to Dream Bigger – Defying Limits with The First Iranian Woman in Space {{!}} Anousheh Ansari |url=https://findingmastery.com/podcasts/anousheh-ansari/ |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=Finding Mastery |language=en-US}}</ref> In Tehran, at the age of seven, Ansari attended a French Catholic school called [[Jeanne d'Arc School, Tehran|Jeanne d’Arc]]. Half of the day was taught in Farsi while the other half was taught in French.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Life |first=Kayhan |date=2017-10-01 |title=My Trip into Space: An Interview with Anousheh Ansari |url=https://kayhanlife.com/trip-space-interview-anousheh-ansari/ |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=KAYHAN LIFE |language=en-US |archive-date=2018-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180219160928/https://kayhanlife.com/trip-space-interview-anousheh-ansari/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> She witnessed the [[Iranian Revolution]] in 1979 and recalls memories of "hearing gun shots, screaming, people being killed, and explosions". From then on until the [[Iran–Iraq War]], Ansari would have to take shelter in the basement of her apartment building, where she was the eldest of the children taking shelter. She would narrate stories to them, offering them comfort, which distracted them from the noise of bombs being dropped outside.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dare to Dream Bigger – Defying Limits with The First Iranian Woman in Space {{!}} Anousheh Ansari |url=https://findingmastery.com/podcasts/anousheh-ansari/ |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=Finding Mastery |language=en-US}}</ref> Ansari immigrated to the [[United States]] in 1984 as a teenager,<ref name="Female space tourist blasts off">{{cite news | url= http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/09/18/space.female.tourist/index.html| title= Female space tourist blasts off | publisher=[[CNN]] | date=2006-09-18 | access-date=2006-09-18| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060920022040/http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/09/18/space.female.tourist/index.html| archive-date= 20 September 2006 | url-status= live}}</ref> and attended a high school in [[Northern Virginia]], Lake Braddock.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dare to Dream Bigger – Defying Limits with The First Iranian Woman in Space {{!}} Anousheh Ansari |url=https://findingmastery.com/podcasts/anousheh-ansari/ |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=Finding Mastery |language=en-US}}</ref> Apart from her native [[Persian language|Persian]], she is fluent in [[English language|English]] and [[French language|French]] and acquired a working knowledge of [[Russian language|Russian]] for her spaceflight experience.<ref>{{cite news| first= Warren E. | last= Leary| url= https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/12/science/space/12tourist.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin |title= She Dreamed of the Stars; Now She'll Almost Touch Them| work= The New York Times| date= September 12, 2006}}</ref>

She received her [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in electrical engineering and computer science at [[George Mason University]] in Fairfax, Virginia, and her master's degree at [[George Washington University]] in Washington D.C.<ref name= cheers>{{cite news |title= Pride in space as Iran cheers first Muslim's journey to the stars|first= Andrew |last= Buncombe |date=2006-09-18}}</ref><ref name="Never an Option">{{cite web|url=http://www.gmu.edu/alumni/spirit/00fall/ansari.html |title=Failure Was Never an Option for Mason Alumna |work=George Mason University alumni newsletter |first=Emily |last=Yaghmour |access-date=2006-08-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060525030252/http://www.gmu.edu/alumni/spirit/00fall/ansari.html |archive-date=2006-05-25 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| first= Gina| last= Sunseri| url= https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=2455201&page=1 |title= First Female Space Tourist Takes Off| publisher= ABC News| website= abcnews.go.com| date= September 18, 2006}}</ref>