First Pakistani in space - Namira Salim, we are proud of you

Namira took Pakistan’s flag to new heights and won wide acclaim for her mission

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - There is a proud moment for Pakistan as Namira Salim has become its first person to reach space.

Namira took Pakistan’s flag to new heights and won wide acclaim for her mission. She was on board Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity space plane and among five people - three passengers, a commander and co-pilot – on board.

The flight took off from New Mexico’s Spaceport America, which is world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport, with a sub-orbital trajectory.

It is reported that the VSS Unity was released from the mothership with passengers experiencing several minutes of "weightlessness" and then returning to earth with a view of the planet's curvature against the backdrop of outer space as they will not be reaching orbit.

The Pakistani participant - part of the Galactic 04, Virgin Galactic's fourth mission in 2023 — was among the first 100 to purchase Virgin Galactic's ticket in 2006 for $200,000. The cost of her journey has since increased to $450,000.  

According to Virgin, the craft attained an apogee of 54.3 miles from the surface of the Earth, and hit a top speed of Mach 2.95 (nearly three times the speed of sound) during its short trip.

A photo released by the company showed passengers peering out the windows while floating around weightless.

— Virgin Galactic (@virgingalactic) October 6, 2023

She is Virgin Galactic’s Astronaut 019. She is a self-described world traveller, entrepreneur and artist with a diverse background in space engagement.

— Namira Salim (@namirasalim) October 6, 2023

Trevor Beattie, a British advertising professional, and Ron Rosano, a US astronomy educator along with commander Nicola Pecile and Pakistani-Canadian pilot Jameel Janua, were others on the flight.

Namira Salim is the founder and chairperson of the nonprofit Space Trust and she became the first Pakistani to visit both North Pole and South Pole.

Earlier, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar congratulated Namira Salim for becoming the first woman from Pakistan to go to space.

“By proving their mettle as trailblazers in multiple fields, Pakistani women are making the whole nation proud,” Kakar wrote on his X account, wishing her luck.

Rigorous training

Earlier, Namira Salim, in a statement said she along with other astronauts was undergoing a training. On the first day of training, she and other astronauts had learnt about fitting spacesuits and parachutes to perfection.

“We are also trained about the functionality of our custom-made seats in the spaceship and how to fasten and unfasten our seat belts so we leave our seats in zero gravity well oriented and take the necessary steps to maximize our experience in space,” she commented.

In her statement issued from United States, she said, “We are also trained about the functionality of our custom-made seats in the spaceship and how to fasten and unfasten our seat belts so we leave our seats in zero gravity well oriented and take the necessary steps to maximise our experience in space.”

“We have also learnt to make gentle movements not to bump into windows or fellow astronauts and how to naturally drift when floating in zero gravity,” she said.

Salim recently met caretaker Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi before her departure to the US for her onward journey to space.