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The UAE is new to space exploration but has quickly made a name for itself with lunar and interplanetary missions.
The second Emirati to travel to space, martial arts enthusiast Sultan Al Neiyadi, performed a Ramadan performance in orbit on Thursday and pledged to pack his jiu-jitsu suit on the trip.
AlNeyadi, 41, dubbed the “Sultan of Space” by his alma mater, will head to the International Space Station (ISS) on Feb. 26 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
During his six-month orbit – a record time for any Arab astronaut – AlNeyadi said he wanted to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan, in which Muslims typically fast from dawn to sunset.
But space travel presents unique challenges.
“The International Space Station is very fast … which means it can orbit the Earth in 90 minutes,” he told reporters in Dubai.
“There are 16 sunrises and sunsets a day on average… When do you (start and) break your fast?”
AlNeyadi said that if the situation allowed, he could fast according to the GMT time used on the International Space Station.
Fasting is not mandatory for certain groups of people, including those who are traveling or who are unwell.
“I will be preparing for Ramadan, intending to fast,” AlNeyadi said.
He will become the second astronaut from the wealthy United Arab Emirates after Hazzaa al-Mansoori’s eight-day mission in 2019.
In space, Sultan AlNeyadi will study the effects of microgravity on the human body in preparation for future missions.
During the voyage, AlNeyadi will study the impact of microgravity on human body In preparation for future missions to the Moon and Mars, he said.
Six months “may seem like a long time, but I don’t mind because the schedule is so packed”.
It has been a long journey for AlNeyadi, who has served in the UAE military for 20 years.
He also studied Electronics and Communications Engineering in the UK before completing his PhD. Master of Data Breach Prevention Technology at Griffith University, Australia.
The UAE is a newcomer to the world space explored, but soon succeeded.
It sent an unmanned spacecraft to Mars in 2021, the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission, and sent a probe to the moon last year.
AlNeyadi says he’s ‘delighted’ to start mission And will bring “photos of my family and maybe some toys that belong to my kids”.
“Because of my love for the sport, I also wear my jiu-jitsu suit,” he added.
Asked if he would do any low-gravity grappling while floating around the ISS, he laughed: “We’ll see.”
© 2023 AFP
quote: UAE ‘Space Sultan’ Rapid Response Ramadan (2023 , February 2)
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