The time has come for Namira Salim to fulfil her lifelong desire, which is to travel to space. Today, on October 6, at 6 p.m. (UAE time), the UAE based Pakistani woman, with two other space travelers, will fly sub-orbital on a voyage with Virgin Galactic. This journey is likely to contribute to the increasing popularity of space tourism.
Salim, who has been waiting for nearly two decades for the first commercial spaceflight. More importantly, she is making history as she becomes the first female UAE resident and Pakistan’s first female space tourist.
The caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan, Anwaar ul Haq Kakar, sent his best wishes for a successful journey and safe travels to her. On Wednesday, he sent out the following tweet:
“Good Luck Namira Salim @namirasalim. I hope everything goes well for you as you prepare to create history on October 6 by being the first Pakistani woman to journey to space in the #Galactic04 spacecraft. The accomplishments of Pakistani women, who are breaking new ground in a variety of sectors, are a source of national pride for the whole country.”
the Pakistani woman said that she is “proud to fly the national flag high in space” and proud of this accomplishment. During today’s space travels, she is also carrying the national flags of the United Arab Emirates and Monaco. Both of these countries have been her home for a significant portion of her life.
Pakistani Woman (Astronaut 019) going to Space
Ron Rosano (Virgin Galactic Astronaut 017) is the other space tourist and astronomy educator from Muir Beach, California. Trevor Beattie (Virgin Galactic Astronaut 018) is the third traveler is a British national. She is an advertising executive and founding partner, chairman, and creative director of Beattie McGuinness. They will be joining Salim, who will be known as Virgin Galactic Astronaut 019.
Kelly Latimer, the mission commander, and C.J. Sturckow, the pilot, will be in charge of guiding the three individuals while at the helm of the VSS Unity. Beth Moses, who is the lead astronaut teacher for Virgin Galactic, will be one of the four people that ride in the cabin with the three private passengers.
The VSS Unity is a reusable space aircraft, operated by Virgin Galactic. It is planned to lift off on a suborbital trajectory. It is carrying three members of the crew as well as space passengers. At six o’clock in the evening, local time in the United Arab Emirates, the carrier aircraft, VMS Eve, will lift off from Virgin Galactic’s Spaceport America in New Mexico.
During their ascent, the passengers will feel a force known as 4G, which is equivalent to up to four times the force of gravity on Earth. After that, they will enter a virtually weightless state onboard the spaceship VSS Unity for a period of four minutes during which they will experience near-zero gravity.
