Naimira Salim became the first Pakistani to reach space on Virgin Galactic’s mission, called “Galactic 04,” which was launched from New Mexico’s Spaceport America on Friday, according to SPACE.com, an independent space news publication. Karachi-born Ms.Salim, the founder and chairperson of Space Trust, is a longtime adventurer. She’s the first Pakistani to visit both the North Pole (in April 2007) and the South Pole (in January 2008).
On Friday, Galactic 04 mission began at about at 8:40 p.m. (Pakistan standard time), when Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity space plane lifted off beneath the wings of its carrier craft, known as VMS Eve, SPACE.com said. Eve carried Unity high into the New Mexico skies, ultimately releasing the space plane at roughly 9:24 pm (PST) at an altitude of around 45,000 feet (13,700 meters). Unity then fired up its onboard rocket motor, powering its way to suborbital space.
Ms. Salim and her fellow space tourist customers – British advertising executive Trevor Beattie and American astronomy educator Ron Rosano – then experienced a few minutes of weightlessness and see Earth against the darkness of space. Their flight ended at 9:43 pm (PST), when Unity finally touched down at Spaceport America.
Joining Salim, in Unity’s cabin was Beth Moses, Virgin Galactic’s chief astronaut instructor. Kelly Latimer and C.J. Sturckow piloted the space plane, and Nicola Pecile and Jameel Janjua, a Pakistani-Canadian space pilot, were at the controls of VMS Eve during the mission. (The carrier plane also landed back at Spaceport America.) Before the flight, Ms. Salim said that she will be carrying Pakistani flag with her.
