Abdul Ahad Mohmand (b. January 1, 1959) was the first Afghan cosmonaut and spent nine days in space aboard the Mir space station in 1988. He currently lives in Stuttgart, Germany. January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... U.S. Space Shuttle astronaut Bruce McCandless II using a manned maneuvering unit. ... Mir (Мир, which can mean both world and peace in Russian) was a highly successful Soviet (and later Russian) space station. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Stuttgart, a city located in southern Germany, is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg with a population of approximately 600,000 as of May 2005. ...

Along with Commander Vladimir Lyakhov and Dr. Valery Polyakov, Mohmand was part of the Soyuz TM-6 three-man crew, which launched at 04:23 GMT August 29, 1988. Mohmand's inclusion in the mission was a significant symbol during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Vladimir Lyakhov was born in Antratsit, Voroshilovgrad Oblast, USSR (now the Ukraine) on July 20, 1941. ... Valeri Vladimirovich Polyakov (born April 27, 1942) is the Russian cosmonaut holding the record for the longest spaceflight in human history, staying aboard the Mir space station for more than 14 months during one trip. ... Crew Launched: Vladimir Lyakhov (3) Valeri Polyakov (1) Abdul Ahad Mohmand (1) - Afghanistan Landed: Vladimir Titov (3) Musa Manarov (1) Jean-Loup Chrétien (2) - France Mission parameters Mass: 7070 kg Perigee: 195 km Apogee: 228 km Inclination: 51. ... For alternate meanings of GMT, see GMT (disambiguation). ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... Monument to Soviet Afghanistan fighters in Kiev, Ukraine The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was a 25-year war fought between the Soviet Red Army and rebels in Afghanistan. ...

During his brief time on the Mir, Mohmand took photographs of Afghanistan, participated in astrophysical, medical and biological experiments, spoke to Afghan president Najibullah and brewed Afghan tea for the crew. Mohammad Najibullah (1947–September 27, 1996) was the fourth President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. ...

The September 6 landing of Soyuz TM-6 was delayed because of mechanical complications on the Mir. Radio Moscow reassured listeners that Lyakhov and Mohmand were fine and in touch with Mission Control. A recording was played of them laughing. The British media jumped on the story and incorporated words like "marooned" and "lost in space" into their headlines. They even suggested (erroneously) that the cosmonauts had run out of food. With each passing orbit, the danger for the crew became more and more serious. Fortunately, a day later the retro-fire was successful, and at 00:50 GMT Soyuz TM 5 landed near Dzhezkazgan. During touchdown there was no live radio coverage, only live television pictures of Mission Control. September 6 is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years). ... A 1969 Radio Moscow QSL card Radio Moscow was the official international broadcasting station of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. ... September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). ... Dzhezkazgan (Kazak: Zhezqazghan), is a city in central Kazakstan, on a reservoir of the Kara-Kengir River. ...

Born in Sardah, Afghanistan, Mohmand graduated from the Polytechnical High School in Kabul and then the Air Force Academy. He served in the Afghan Air Force and later trained in the USSR as a pilot. Kabul Kabul (34°32′ N 69°10′ E, Kâbl, in Persian کابل) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan with a population variously estimated at 2 to 4 million. ... The Afghan Air Force is the military branch in Afghanistan responsible for air warfare, including air defense. ...

External links

• http://www.afghan-network.net/Culture/afghanastronaut.htm