Abdul Ahad Mohmand

Abdul Ahad Mohmand (born 9 March 1959 in Kabul, Afghanistan) is a former Afghan cosmonaut and Air Force officer. Selected in 1988 as part of the Soviet‑Afghan Intercosmos program, he flew aboard Soyuz TM‑6 to the Mir space station in August 1988, becoming the first Afghan and the first Muslim to travel into space. During his 7‑day, 22‑hour, 2‑minute mission he conducted scientific experiments in fields such as remote sensing, biology, and materials science, and performed a live television broadcast to Afghanistan. After returning to Earth, Mohmand continued to serve in the Afghan Air Force, later retiring with the rank of Colonel. He has been honored with the title Hero of the Soviet Union, the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner of Labour, and Afghanistan's highest civilian award. Since retirement, he has been active in promoting science education and space awareness in Afghanistan.