Namira Salim – First Pakistani Woman to go to Space

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Namira Salim is the first ever Pakistani Woman selected to go for space tour in 2009. She is one of 100 space tourists who will board landmark commercial space flights being offered by Virgin Galactic, which plans to start operations by 2009.

Namira, 35, was born in Karachi, but now lives in Dubai and the south of France. She is a poet and an artist. In an interview with Reuters, she said:

“I’m hoping that when the flight happens I can break new ground for Muslim and Pakistani women to enter into fields considered out of bounds for them,”

Virgin Galactic is part of British entrepreneur and adventurer Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. She was selected last year from 44,000 candidates to become a member of the Virgin Galactic Founders Club. She said her spaceship was being built and training will start by year-end.

This is a great honor for Pakistanis worldwide specially Pakistani and Muslim women. My many congratulations to Namira and best wishes, hope she has a great flight to space.