Afghanistan's First and Only Astronaut Abdul Ahad Momand Dies at 67

Abdul Ahad Momand, Afghanistan's first and only astronaut, has died at the age of 67 after battling cancer. He passed away while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Stuttgart, Germany, and his family confirmed his death on June 22.

Born in 1959 in Afghanistan's Ghazni Province, Momand made history in 1988 when he became the first Afghan to travel into space under the former Soviet Union's Intercosmos program.

On August 29, 1988, he launched aboard the Soyuz TM-6 spacecraft to the Mir Space Station, where he spent nearly nine days conducting scientific missions and representing Afghanistan in one of the country's most significant achievements in space exploration.

Momand was also recognized as the first person to carry and recite the Holy Quran in space. During his mission, he recited verses from the Quran and spoke with his mother in Pashto, making it one of the languages used in space for the first time.

After returning from his historic mission, Momand served as Afghanistan's Deputy Minister of Civil Aviation. Following the country's political upheaval in 1992, he relocated to Germany with his family, where he lived for the rest of his life.

News of Momand's passing has prompted an outpouring of tributes from Afghanistan and around the world. He is being remembered as a national hero, a pioneer of Afghan space exploration, and an enduring symbol of inspiration for the Muslim world and future generations of scientists and explorers.