AP

Anousheh Ansari

ADDISON - A local businesswoman is getting the opportunity to not only be the first woman, but also the first person born in Iran to ever go up into space.

While her dream to explore the International Space Station is coming alive, it isn't happening without a political battle.

Anousheh Ansari said she wanted to wear two patches, an American and Iranian flag, on her astronaut suite. But international politics put a stop to that part of her dream.

"We definitely don't want to dilute the message by politics," said Ansari's husband, Hamid.

Family members said Anousheh Ansari is a science and space fanatic.

"It's part of her DNA," Hamid said. "It's in her."

Ansari immigrated from Iran at 16-years-old unable to speak English. Now, she is a local millionaire.

After starting up six telecommunication companies, she's afforded herself the dream of a lifetime, a $20 million trip to space.

"It's just tingling all over, the sensation that you get," said Amir Ansari, Anousheh's brother-in-law, about knowing Anousheh will lift up into space in three days.

However, both men said Anousheh is disappointed that both NASA and Russian officials not only forbid her to wear the Iranian patch, but also argued they want her to cover up the Iranian colors on her personal patch that displays the American colors as well.

"She's from Iran no matter what," Ansari said of his wife. "Wearing a flag, or not wearing a flag, doesn't change where we were born."

Anousheh's brother-in-law agreed.

"You're proud of yourself and your heritage," he said.

But with tensions high in Iran over their nuclear program, Ansari won't be able to wear the Iran flag.

As for the Iranian colors on her personal patch, that's still up in the air.

"I think we worry about the semantics too much; and that the whole message is getting lost," Hamid said.

However, the message on her patch is one that all can agree on.

"Be the dream that you want to be basically," Hamid said of the message.

Ansari plans to communicate via the internet with two Plano schools to educate them about her experience.

E-mail sslater@wfaa.com