Namira Salim – First Pakistani Astronaut: Celebrating Pakistani Women

Namira, one of the earliest founders of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic commercial space liner, is the first Pakistani to travel to space.

Namira Salim Pakistani Astronaut

She completed her intermediate studies from the Government Commerce College, Karachi, Bachelors in International Business at Hofstra University, New York and studied Masters in International Relations at Columbia University, New York.

Namira, one of the earliest founders of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic commercial space liner, is the first Pakistani to travel to space. In August 2006, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information, called her the “First Pakistani Astronaut”.

Namira has founded a non-profit organization called the Space Trust, which aims to promote space as the new frontier for peace.

For her, going into space was a meditative process. She was always fascinated by the night sky. Namira got her first telescope at the age of 14. Two years later, she joined an astronomy society that had just been formed — the first of its kind in the country – by the name of Amastropak; and she was its first female member.

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She is the first Pakistani to reach the North Pole in the month of April 2007 and the South Pole in the month of January 2008. She is also the first Asian to skydive over Mount Everest. Namira has founded a non-profit organization called the Space Trust, which aims to promote space as the new frontier for peace.

In 2007, she also served as the honorary Ambassador of Tourism for Pakistan in the Principality of Monaco. On 23 March 2011, Asif Ali Zardari, then President of Pakistan conferred on Namira the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Medal of Excellence).