Abdul Ahad Momand

Abdul Ahad Momand
عبدالاحد مومند
Born	Abdul Ahad Momand 1959 (age 64–65) Sardeh Band, Andar, Ghazni, Kingdom of Afghanistan
Nationality	Afghan (1959–2003) German (2003–present, naturalised)
Alma mater	Habibia High School Kabul Polytechnic University
Occupations	Fighter Pilot Cosmonaut Accountant
Political party	PDPA
Spouse	Zulfara
Children	3
Awards	Order of Lenin Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration"[1] Order of the Sun of Freedom[2] Order of the Saur Revolution[2] Hero of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan[2] Hero of the Soviet Union[3][2]
Space career
Intercosmos Research Cosmonaut
Time in space	8d 20h 26min
Selection	1988
Missions	Mir EP-3 (Soyuz TM-6/Soyuz TM-5)
Mission insignia
Military career
Allegiance	Afghanistan
Service/branch	Afghan Air Force
Years of service	1978–1992
Rank	Colonel

Abdul Ahad Momand (Pashto: عبدالاحد مومند; born 1959) is an Afghan-German and former Afghan Air Force aviator who became the first, and currently only, Afghan astronaut to journey to outer space.^[4] He became one of Soyuz TM-6 crew members and spent nine days aboard the Mir space station in 1988 as an Interkosmos research cosmonaut.^[5]

Momand holds many records as an Afghan astronaut. He became the first person to take the Quran to space and recite it there.^[6] When he spoke to his mother on the phone from space, Pashto became the fourth language to be officially spoken in space.^[7] He became the first Afghan citizen and the fourth Muslim to visit outer space, after Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, Muhammed Faris, and Musa Manarov.