Namira Salim, Pakistan’s pioneering female astronaut, is on the verge of an unprecedented journey into space. Scheduled to commence on October 5, Namira will proudly unfurl the national flag of Pakistan in the cosmos.
Virgin Galactic Holdings has officially announced the commencement of the Galactic 04 flight window on October 5, 2023. Namira has secured the esteemed position of Astronaut No. 6 under the patronage of Richard Branson.
On November 29, 2022, the Founder Astronaut of Virgin Galactic assigned her seat, marking her as the first Pakistani set to venture into space, facilitated by Astronaut 019.
The Galactic 04 mission brings together three private astronauts, each contributing diverse backgrounds and cultures to this collective pursuit of space, exploration, and adventure.
Namira has earned acclaim as the first space tourist of South Asian origin and the first private astronaut from Dubai and Monaco. In 2006, Richard Branson introduced her as one of the earliest founders of Virgin Galactic. Namira completed her inaugural sub-orbital spaceflight training in the world’s most advanced high-performance centrifuge, STS-400, at the Nastar Centre, under the guidance of Virgin Galactic in 2007.
Namira Salim is the founder and Executive Chairperson of Space Trust, a non-profit initiative launched in 2015. Space Trust collaborates with world leaders, the United Nations, and global agencies to leverage space as a sustainable instrument for peacemaking on Earth.
Officially recognized as the First Pakistani Astronaut by the government of Pakistan in 2006, Namira served as Honorary Ambassador of Tourism for Pakistan in 2007, an appointment made by the Ministry of Tourism. She achieved the milestone of becoming the first Pakistani to reach the North Pole in April 2007 and the South Pole in January 2008.
Namira also holds the distinction of being the first Asian and first Pakistani to skydive over Mount Everest during the historic First Everest Skydives in 2008. A dedicated peace activist, she was honored with the ‘Tamgha-e-Imtiaz’ (Medal of Excellence) in 2011. The President of Pakistan bestowed upon Namira one of the country’s highest civil decorations, the ‘Tamgha-e-Imtiaz’.
