Abdul Ahad Momand, Afghanistan’s Only Space Traveler, Dies at 64[TITLE]

Abdul Ahad Momand, Afghanistan’s only cosmonaut and the nation’s sole individual to venture into space, has died at the age of 64. He passed away on June 21 in Stuttgart, Germany, where he had resided since 1992. His family confirmed the cause of death was cancer but offered no additional details.

Momand’s historic spaceflight in 1988 as part of the Soviet Union’s Intercosmos program represented a remarkable achievement for Afghanistan. Flying aboard Soyuz TM-6 to the Mir space station, he became the first and only Afghan to travel to space, sharing the mission with commander Colonel Vladimir Lyakhov and physician Dr. Valeri Polyakov.

“Captain Momand’s spaceflight inscribed the name of Afghanistan in the realm of global space exploration,” his family wrote on social media, “and became a source of pride and inspiration for generations of his fellow countrymen.”

A pilot in the Afghan Air Force, Momand conducted various experiments during his mission and used sophisticated cameras to photograph Afghanistan from orbit, identifying arable regions and mineral resources. His efforts to create accurate maps of his war-torn homeland were particularly meaningful, as he had grown up without proper cartographic resources.

During the flight, Momand made a powerful appeal for peace from space, contacting Afghan President Mohammed Najibullah with the message: “Take your neighbor by the hand, lay down your arms, let’s solve our problems through dialogue.”

He observed that from space, the violence in his homeland was invisible, telling Soviet television: “I would like to believe that such will be the situation on the land inhabited by my brothers and sisters, on the land of our fathers and mothers who have suffered so much during the years of war.”

In 2017, Momand reflected on his experience, stating: “The view of Earth from Mir’s porthole brought me enjoyment incomparable to any other.”

Born in 1959 in Sardeh Band, Ghazni province, Momand realized his childhood dreams of flight after graduating from Kabul Polytechnic University and completing military training, including studies at the Gagarin Air Force Academy in Moscow. He served as chief navigator at Bagram Air Base before his historic mission.

Momand’s return journey from Mir was perilous. A sun-related sensor malfunction forced an aborted re-entry, followed by a critical engine failure that left the astronauts orbiting Earth for an additional 25 hours with severely limited supplies. They landed safely on September 7, barely avoiding disaster.

Following his return, Momand received honors in Kabul but shortly after fled Afghanistan as the Soviet-backed government collapsed. He briefly served as deputy minister of civil aviation before seeking political asylum in Germany in 1992. In later years, he worked in printing and accounting.

Survivors include his wife Zulfara, two daughters, and a son. In 2013, Momand returned to Afghanistan for the 25th anniversary of his spaceflight, meeting President Hamid Karzai and inspiring a new generation of Afghan astronomers.

Source link