One of the astronauts of planet earth. Abdul Ahad Momand was part of the Soyuz TM-6 three-man crew, which launched on 29 August 1988. 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. The September 6 planned landing was delayed because of mechanical complications on the Mir. A day later, the retro-fire was successful, and Abdul Ahad Momand landed near Dzhezkazgan. In 1988 the title Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to Abdul Ahad Momand. Following the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan, Momand fled to Germany in 1992 and applied for asylum, becoming a German citizen in 2003. He went into the space again a few years later. He works in printing services and lives in Ostfildern near Stuttgart. The Pashtun Abdul Ahad Momand was born in Sardah, Afghanistan. From the Air Force Academy he served in the Afghan Air Force and later trained in the Soviet Union as a pilot and a professional astronaut.