The pioneering Afghan who carried the Quran and the Pashto language into space
Abdul Ahad Momand, Afghanistan’s first astronaut, has died in Germany at the age of 67.
According to a family member, Momand had been suffering from cancer and passed away after a period of illness. He had been living with his family in Stuttgart, Germany, since 1992.
Momand is widely recognized as one of Afghanistan’s most significant scientific figures. In 1988, he became the first Afghan astronaut to travel into space.
During his historic mission, he took a copy of the Quran with him and recited verses while aboard the space station. He also spoke with his mother in Pashto from space, making Pashto one of the languages spoken beyond Earth.
Born in 1959 in Ghazni Province, Momand completed his early education in Afghanistan before pursuing aviation and aerospace studies in the former Soviet Union.
He launched his space mission on August 29, 1988, and returned to Earth on September 7, 1988. The mission was originally scheduled for eight days but was extended to nine days due to technical challenges.
After leaving Afghanistan in 1992, he settled in Germany, where he continued to work in scientific and technical fields.
His passing marks the loss of a pioneering figure in Afghanistan’s scientific and aerospace history.