Namira Salim is geared up to become the first Pakistani to reach the final frontier as embarks on a Virgin Galactic space plane. Salim also shared how she feels “proud” to raise the national flag in space – a remarkable achievement for the country and especially its women.
“Proud to fly the national flag high in space Insha’Allah on October 6,” Salim shared on social media ahead of her departure alongside three other space travelers: British advertising executive Trevor Beattie and Ameri¬can astronomy educator Ron Rosano.
Alongside the trio will be Beth Moses, Virgin Galactic’s chief astronaut instructor.
Previously, Virgin Galactic delayed its next space tourism mission by a day “to complete vehicle prep and checks.”
“The slip will give our team an additional day to complete vehicle prep and checks,” they wrote on their platform X account. “We look forward to taking to the skies (on Friday)!”
The mission, called Galactic 04, will allow three paying customers to be sent into suborbital space and back on Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity space plane. They will also witness several minutes of weightlessness and be able to see the curvature of Earth against the backdrop of outer space.
Unity will lift off beneath the wings of its carrier plane, Virgin Mothership (VMS) Eve, from New Mexico’s Spaceport America.
But Salim isn’t the only Pakistani on this galactic venture, VMS Eve is also piloted by a Canadian of Pakistani origin, Jameel Janjua. Janjua completed over 4,000 flying hours in 45+ different vehicles before joining Virgin Galactic.
Kelly Latimer and C.J. Sturckow will fly the space plane while Nicola Pecile will join Mr Janjua to pilot Eve. Both vehicles will land back at Spaceport America after completing the mission.
In a tweet posted on her official X — formerly known as Twitter — account, Salim expressed gratitude for Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar congratulating her for being the first woman from Pakistan to go to space.
“By proving their mettle as trailblazers in multiple fields, Pakistani women are making the whole nation proud,” Mr Kakar stated on X account.
Salim was one of the first 100 people to buy a ticket with Virgin Galactic, in 2006 priced at $200,000 back then. The ticket now costs $450,000.
Salim is the founder and chairperson of the nonprofit Space Trust. According to her website, she’s the first Pakistani to visit both the North Pole (in April 2007) and the South Pole (in January 2008).
Pakistan s first astronaut Namira Saleem will raise the country s flag in space soon
