Afghan astronaut Abdul Ahad Momand, the only Afghan to travel to space, dies

Abdul Ahad Momand was a pilot in the Afghan Air Force. He was selected to join the Soviet Union's space program. In 1988 he flew aboard a Soviet spacecraft. His mission occurred while Soviet forces were engaged in a war in Afghanistan. Momand remains the only Afghan citizen to have traveled to space. His historic flight made him a national figure in Afghanistan. News of his death was announced recently. The announcement highlights his legacy as a pioneering astronaut.