{
  "id": 12571343,
  "title": "World Space Week: The only two South Africans who have ever been to space",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/world-space-week-the-only-two-south-africans-who-have-ever-been-to",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-07T06:51:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/technology/opinion/2026-10-07-world-space-week-the-only-two-south-africans-who-have-ever-been-to-space/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "While Mark Shuttleworth made history as the first South African in space, test pilot Mike Melvill became the second just two years later aboard SpaceShipOne.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}