Abdul Ahad Momand, the first and only Afghan astronaut, died yesterday (21th of June ) at the age of 67 in a hospital in Stuttgart, Germany, after suffering from cancer.
His family members and relatives have confirmed the news of his death; Momand had been living with his family in Germany in recent years and was battling cancer in the final days of his life.
Abdul-Ahad Momand traveled to the Mir Space Station in 1988 as part of a joint space mission with the former Soviet Union and spent nearly 9 days in space; he recorded his name in the country’s history as the first and only Afghan astronaut.
The passing of this prominent scientific figure has been met with widespread reactions in Afghanistan, and many citizens and social media users have referred to him as one of the country’s scientific honors.
