Meet Dr Yarjan Abdul Samad - Pakistan's first space scientist at Cambridge University

Balochi youth Dr Yarjan Abdul Samad has made Pakistan proud to have become the first space scientist at the world’s best and the Britain’s leading university of Cambridge.  

Dr Yarjan works at the Cambridge Graphene Centre, Engineering Department of the University of Cambridge. His department involves research work in connection with the devices used in the space-bound satellites. The institution is run in collaboration with the European Space Agency and other research institutions.

“At the department, we make devices that are used in the space,” Dr Yarjan told Geo News. He belongs to a far-flung village, Buleda, located off Turbat, Balochistan. “I am proud that as a Baloch and a Pakistani, I’m the first Pakistani to work as a space scientist at the Cambridge University.”

We are making efforts to work out the devices that function without any energy and electricity, he pointed out. These devices will provide cooling to the spacecrafts while in space, he said.

The young scientist performed his scientific experiments several times at zero gravity in space during three years.

The young Pakistani scientist said he was willing to share his technology and experiments with the Pakistani Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO).

Dr Yarjan said he was also willing to train the Pakistani space scientists. “We launch flights, including the parabolic ones or sounding rockets, for our experiments. We can replicate them in Pakistan too,” he remarked. The space scientist said the technology may be launched in Pakistan as well, he pointed out.

I’m used to struggle very hard like soldiers, he responded to query regarding the troubles and constraints he faces during his space travels. “Our job is like that of soldiers,” he said. “There is no space for any fear when you are committed to your work.”

The space technology is going to make progress by leaps and bounds in the days to come to serve different purposes, including improving the environments, he believes.