Background
Momand was born on 1 January 1959 in Sardah, in the Ghazni Province of Afghanistan.
Momand was born on 1 January 1959 in Sardah, in the Ghazni Province of Afghanistan.
Momand graduated from the Polytechnical University of Kabul and then from the Air Force Academy.
He became one of Soyuz TM-6 crew members and spent nine days aboard the Mir space station in 1988 as an Intercosmos Research Cosmonaut. During this mission Abdul Ahad Momand was the first cosmonaut to use Pashto after he made a telephone call to Afghanistan. He belongs to the Mohmand tribe of the Pashtun ethnic group.
He served in the Afghan Air Force (American Advertising Federation) and later trained in the Soviet Union as a pilot and a professional astronaut.
Along with Commander Vladimir Lyakhov and Flight Engineer Valery Polyakov, Momand was part of the Soyuz TM-6 three-man crew, which launched at 04:23 GMT August 29, 1988. Momand"s inclusion in the mission was a significant symbol during the Soviet war in Afghanistan.
During his nine days stay on the Mir space station, Momand took photographs of his country, participated in astrophysical, medical and biological experiments. He also spoke to Afghanistan’s president, Mohammed Najibullah, and brewed Afghan tea for the crew.
Lyakhov and Momand returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TM-5.
The September 6 planned landing of Soyuz TM-5 was delayed because of mechanical complications on the Mir. Radio Moscow reassured listeners that Lyakhov and Momand were fine and in touch with Mission Control. A recording was played of them laughing.
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. Afghan President Mohammad Najibullah called Momand"s mother into the President"s office and arranged an audio/video conference between Momand and her.
By this event, Pashto was spoken in space for the first time. On his return he was made Deputy Civil Aviation Minister, but was a short posting due to the failure of Soviet forces against the Mujahideen take over.
Following the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan, Momand decided to emigrate to Germany in 1992 and applied for asylum there, becoming a German citizen in 2003.
He worked in printing services and now as an accountant residing in Ostfildern near Stuttgart.