The Peninsula On-line: Qatar's leading English Daily

PAKISTAN PANORAMA: Pakistani astronaut has world at her feet (by Kamran Re hmat)

AMID THE pervading gloom in Pakistan, an historic milestone went largely unnoticed this past week. Namira Salim, the first would-be Pakistani astronaut to go into space this year hoisted the country’s crescent-and-star flag at the South Pole. Following up on a similar deed in the North in April last, she has become the first Pakistani to reach the two poles – a deed worthy of the very distinguished achiever that Namira is.

It would belittle the distinction, if her new heights were to be seen as only raising the bar for her gender but it takes nothing away from the fact that Pakistani women have, often enough, made their presence felt globally: from the first woman prime minister in the Muslim world (Benazir Bhutto) to the world’s youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (Arfa Karim) the list is long. Braving the extreme harsh weather, wind chill and severe solar radiation, Namira reached the South Pole in what was a private expedition 90 degrees south last week.

For the petite astronaut, aboard the Canadian Twin Otter (DHC-6) aircraft, it was a challenging flight of just around five hours, but to have this small a window of clear weather meant many days of freezing at the ice camp at Patriot Hills, Antarctica. As in the case of Namira’s North Pole expedition, the South Pole was her typical Antarctic expedition rather than skiing or trekking to the Pole.

Upon arrival at the South Pole, the expedition was received at the Amundsen-Scott Station by an American US research centre. Subsequently, Namira and her team members spent a few hours at 90 degrees South, the bottom of the world. Explaining the view, a jubilant Namira told an interviewer: “With the world above, one has so much to look forward to. It is freezing summer here and thus, it is 24 hours daylight in this crystal white dessert of snow and hills.”

The pride in the achievement was also evident: “I am very proud to be the first Pakistani to hoist the national flag at the South Pole, and I do so with the (message of) peace, love and warmth from my country,” she said. The dangerous expedition, more challenging than the earlier North Pole conquest, saw Namira counter extreme weather conditions, risk oxygen depletion, and put up with windchill and severe solar radiation. But she wasn’t short on motivation.

“On a more personal level, I undertook this risky expedition to also honour my beloved father. And I want to thank my entire family for allowing me to follow my dreams,” she says. Namira’s South Pole equipment and gear list was extensive: a -40ÞC rated sleeping bag, a weather resistant parka and pants or a -60ÞC rated boots or approved windstopper jackets, gloves and hats, Pakistan was the last place she could have picked any of these.

For all this and more, she stopped in New York to buy the warmest and best rated layers of light weight, mid weight and heavy weight gear. From Pakistan, it took over 40 hours of flight time, plane connections and even an emergency landing before she arrived in Putna Arenas, Chile, the southern most tip of South America.

It was from here that her expedition to the South Pole started aboard the Russian flight Ilyusin 76, an aircraft that resembles a large spaceship. However, this flight, made up of a mere four-and-a-half hours only took off after several days of delay due to ferocious weather in Antarctica amid strong winds, snow and poor visibility.

During her stay at the ice camp, she was faced with the coldest, windiest and driest weather on the planet, which is typical of Antarctica and which remained the biggest challenge for her onward expedition.

While waiting for the weather to clear, Namira explored the local environment through smaller expeditions in and around Patriot Hills. However, the weather could not deter her from the pinnacle of glory.

“Come snow, come storms, I am (going) to venture to become the first Pakistani at the South Pole,” she is reported to have said whilst held up by the weather.

Her first leg of the journey was to Patriot Hills, the heart of Antarctica, the world’s fifth largest continent consisting of 91 per cent of the world’s ice. Located at 80 degrees South, Patriot Hills is the home on ice to all Antarctic adventurers touching down at the blue ice runway aboard the Ilyusin 76.

With her more renowned passion for space travel and the latest conquests at the planet’s bends, it is easy to forget that Namira is a woman of varied talents.

She was a born star-gazer, getting her first telescope when she was 14. Namira joined Pakistan’s first astronomy society at the age of 16.

Born in Karachi, she was never trained as an astronaut. Instead, she made her name as a sculptor, musician, poet, astrologer, peace activist and humanist. The only sister of twin brothers, who run their father’s business of heavy construction industry in Dubai also learnt flying as well as scuba diving.

It was on March 29, 2006, when this shy Pakistani woman made global headlines. Of all the people, the world’s most versatile and adventurous entrepreneur, Richard Branson, introduced Namira to the world as the first woman from the Middle East and Asia to fly into space on a commercial spaceship.

Pakistan’s new celebrity was also the first from her region to be a member of the exclusive Virgin Galactic Founders Club – the first 100 space travelers to sign up in full to a flight on Virgin Galactic, when commercial operations commence in 2008-9. Of over 44,000 registrants, the Virgin Galactic chose her to be a pioneer to fly into space for all of those who come after.

Unlike many of her ilk, Namira does not carry a chip on her shoulder. She would return your call if she is unable to attend it for any reason. She has no personal secretaries, no complexes and no swollen egos.

In a recent interview, I remember Namira telling me that she always wanted to do something different. This year her dream – and, I suspect, that of millions of her compatriots – is about to come true, when she flies into orbit.

-The Peninsula

Commentary

Why China is stoking war of words with US

Children taken from Haiti face an uncertain fate

Experts say Qaeda a wounded but dangerous enemy

Todays Centerstage

Editorial

Archives

February

January

Editorial Archives

February

January

Back to the Top

Site designed and developed by:
SiDSnetMinds