Pakistani adventurer Namira Salim is gearing up for an extraordinary journey into suborbital space with Virgin Galactic. She will be joined by prominent British advertising professional Trevor Beattie, and renowned US astronomy educator Ron Rosano. Additionally, Beth Moses, the chief astronaut instructor at Virgin Galactic, will be a part of this remarkable group.
Virgin Galactic recently announced a minor adjustment to the schedule, postponing their upcoming space tourism flight by one day to Friday, October 6, 2023.
Namira Salim is a crucial member of the Galactic 04 mission, which marks Virgin Galactic’s fourth mission in 2023. As one of the three paying customers on board, she is poised to experience suborbital space and back on Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity space plane.
Good Luck Namira Salim @namirasalim.
I wish you success when you’re ready to make history on 06 October by becoming the 1st 🇵🇰 woman to travel to space in the #Galactic04
By proving their mettle as trailblazers in multiple fields, 🇵🇰 women are making the whole nation proud— Anwaar ul Haq Kakar (@anwaar_kakar) October 4, 2023
Anwaar ul Haq Kakar, caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan, wished her a safe voyage and praised her in an X post on Wednesday
Thank you @anwaar_kakar Honorable Prime Minister of Pakistan for congratulating me as #FirstPakistaniAstroaut and first woman to go to #space from Pakistan. Proud to fly the #national flag high in #space Insha’Allah on 6th October 2023 @virgingalactic #Galactic04. pic.twitter.com/LB49RYqhkn
— Namira Salim (@namirasalim) October 4, 2023
Salim responded to the tweet, saying: “Proud to fly the national flag high in space”.
The eagerly awaited launch will take place at New Mexico’s Spaceport America. The suborbital trajectory will provide passengers with several minutes of weightlessness, offering breathtaking views of the Earth’s curvature against the backdrop of outer space. It’s important to note that this mission will not reach orbit.
The trio, including Namira Salim, will embark on their extraordinary journey aboard the VMS Eve, expertly piloted by Pakistani-Canadian Jameel Janjua. Janjua boasts an impressive flying record with over 4,000 hours in more than 45 different vehicles. He will be joined by experienced pilots Kelly Latimer and CJ Sturckow in flying the space plane.
Following their mission, both VMS Eve and VSS Unity will return to Spaceport America, completing this historic journey.
Namira Salim’s involvement in this mission is particularly significant. She was among the first 100 individuals to purchase a ticket for Virgin Galactic’s space tourism venture back in 2006, initially costing $200,000. Over the years, the cost of her journey has increased to $450,000.
Namira Salim is no stranger to adventure and exploration. She made history as the first Pakistani to visit both the North Pole in April 2007 and the South Pole in January 2008. Her upcoming space journey adds another remarkable chapter to her extraordinary life of exploration and discovery.
As the world eagerly awaits this historic suborbital spaceflight on October 6, Namira Salim’s participation serves as a testament to the growing accessibility of space exploration for individuals from diverse backgrounds and nationalities.
