Namira Salim - Astronaut 019

Becoming an astronaut was never a question for Namira Salim. Her fascination with the cosmos began when she was a child, the moment her father pointed to the Earth’s pole star and taught her how to navigate the constellations of the night sky. “I would cry and tell my parents I didn’t want to play with toys, I wanted to go to space.” As a teen, she announced to her cousins in no uncertain terms that she was destined to be an astronaut. And her passion for space even inspired her to write and record a touching song, “Follow Me to the Moon,” that raises awareness about the New Space Age and opening space for all.

Born in Pakistan, Namira is an adventurer, artist, entrepreneur and space tourism advocate based in Monaco and Dubai. Her spaceflight establishes a number of firsts: She becomes the first female Virgin Galactic Founder Astronaut and first Pakistani to travel to space. This achievement builds on her earlier conquests of becoming the first Pakistani and first woman from Monaco and the UAE to reach both the North Pole (2007) and South Pole (2008). She also participated in the first-ever Everest Skydive in 2008, skydiving (tandem) above Mount Everest from an altitude of 29,500 feet.

Namira is the founder of Space Trust, a non-profit initiative she launched in 2015 to engage world leaders, the United Nations and global space industry in advancing space exploration as a sustainable tool for peace on Earth. Her spaceflight serves as both a tribute to her beloved father and as an inspiration to young girls and women internationally.

Her spacesuit displays the Pakistani flag and the insignia for 0G, a STEM-based initiative led by her non-profit. Namira carried the flags of Pakistan, UAE and Monaco to space.