Pakistan’s inaugural female astronaut, Namira Salim, is poised to embark on an unprecedented space voyage, as reported by Khaleej Times.
Residing in Dubai, Namira, who previously planted Pakistan’s flag at the North Pole back in 2007, is scheduled to commence her cosmic expedition on October 5. Virgin Galactic Holdings, a space tourism company, has declared the launch window for their Galactic 04 mission, which is set to take off next month.
Namira has secured the coveted title of Astronaut No 6, thanks to a seat designation by Virgin Galactic’s founder astronaut, Richard Branson. Her inaugural space journey will be facilitated by Astronaut 019.
The Government of Pakistan formally recognized Namira as the nation’s inaugural astronaut back in 2006. In 2007, she also served as an honorary tourism ambassador for Pakistan. Namira further etched her name in history by becoming the first Pakistani to reach both the North Pole in April 2007 and the South Pole in January 2008. In 2008, she added another achievement by becoming the first Asian and Pakistani to skydive over Mount Everest, earning her the ‘Tamgha-e-Imtiaz’ (Medal of Excellence) in 2011.
Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Murtaza Solangi, expressed that Namira Salim’s upcoming space journey signifies Pakistan’s expanding presence in space exploration and stands as a monumental achievement for the nation. During a briefing with the caretaker minister, Namira shared details about her space mission preparations and conveyed her determination to hoist the Pakistani flag in space.
Solangi extended congratulations to Namira Salim on behalf of the Government of Pakistan, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, and the nation, offering best wishes for her success. He also hailed Namira Salim as a role model for women and emphasized that the younger generation has the potential to elevate Pakistan’s reputation worldwide in various fields.
Solangi underlined that Namira Salim’s endeavor will shine a positive light on Pakistan as a peaceful and progressive nation.