Abdul Ahad Momand, Afghanistan’s First Astronaut, Dies at 67
Abdul Ahad Momand, Afghanistan’s first astronaut, has died at the age of 67 due to cancer in a hospital in Germany. His family and close associates have confirmed the news. Momand made history in 1988 as the first Afghan citizen to travel to space, etching his name into the country’s space exploration record.
At the age of 29, he participated in a joint mission with the Soviet Union to the Mir space station, spending nearly nine days orbiting the Earth. Momand is also recognized as the first Muslim to take a copy of the Quran into space, an act that resonated widely across Islamic countries.
After undergoing rigorous training in the former Soviet Union and competing against hundreds of candidates, he was selected for the mission. During his time in space, he took images of various parts of Afghanistan to support studies in geology, water resources, mining, and seismology. From the Mir station, he also sent a message calling for an end to the war in Afghanistan, urging the international community to support his people in securing peace.
Upon his return, he was warmly welcomed by the Afghan public and celebrated as a national hero. However, following political upheavals and the outbreak of civil wars in 1992, he left Afghanistan and settled in Germany, where he lived until his passing.
