A DJ from Mabopane township near Pretoria will be blasted 62 miles into orbit in 2015 after winning a space academy competition. The DJ is among 23 young people who saw off one million other entrants from around the world to emerge victorious in the Lynx Apollo Space Academy competition. The prize is to be blasted 62 miles into orbit aboard a Lynx mark II shuttle in 2015.

"It's crazy," said Maseko, the son of a toolmaker and cleaning supervisor. "It hasn't really sunk in yet. I'm envious of myself."

He continued, saying, "I'm not trying to make this a race thing but us blacks grew up dreaming to a certain stage. You dreamed of being a policeman or a lawyer but you knew you won't get as far as pilot or astronaut. Then I went to space camp and I thought, I can actually be an astronaut."

Maseko does not drink, does not smoke, does not have a girlfriend and lives with his parents in Mabopane township near the capital, Pretoria. He enrolled as a part-time civil engineering student but had to drop out due to lack of funds. Then this year he spotted an advert for a chance to go into space. "I was in the right place at the right time and in the right frame of mind."

He was among three South Africans: one black, one white, one of Indian origin, selected from a field of 85,000 hopefuls. "We wanted to show South Africa is way past the colour of our skin. We are the human race."

Source: Bossip