Namira Salim, a Pakistani adventurer, is set to make history as the first Pakistani to travel to space with Virgin Galactic. She will be one of four space travelers on the Galactic 04 mission, experiencing suborbital spaceflight and weightlessness.
In a social media post, Namira Salim expressed her pride in flying the national flag high in space and shared her excitement ahead of the journey. The other passengers on the mission include British advertising executive Trevor Beattie, American astronomy educator Ron Rosano, and Beth Moses, Virgin Galactic’s chief astronaut instructor.
Virgin Galactic had announced a one-day delay for the mission, now scheduled for October 6. The suborbital trajectory of the VSS Unity space plane will provide passengers with several minutes of weightlessness and stunning views of Earth from outer space. The mission will take off from New Mexico’s Spaceport America, with the space plane piloted by Jameel Janjua, a Pakistani of Canadian origin.
Namira Salim, who had booked her ride with Virgin Galactic in 2006 when the price was $200,000, is also the founder and chairperson of the nonprofit Space Trust. She has a history of adventure, having been the first Pakistani to visit both the North Pole and the South Pole.
Her journey to space marks a significant milestone for Pakistan in the realm of space travel.
