Emirati astronaut makes history again as first Arab to perform spacewalk – News

Sheikh Hamdan announced the landmark feat on Twitter, wishing Al Neyyadi good luck

UAE poised to take another historic step in space. literally. Emirati astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi prepares for the first spacewalk by an Arab astronaut on April 28.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, announced the news on Twitter on Thursday. The mission will make the UAE the 10th country to conduct an extravehicular activity (EVA) outside the International Space Station (ISS).

“Good luck, Sultan,” Sheikh Hamdan tweeted.

AlNeyadi will participate in the 262nd spacewalk to support the assembly, maintenance and upgrade of the space station.

This will be the fifth spacewalk from the International Space Station this year. NASA flight engineers Stephen Bowen and Arneiadi will work together on the EVA, which is expected to last just over six hours.

When astronauts go on spacewalks, they wear spacesuits that have oxygen and water in them. They donned pressurized spacesuits hours before the spacewalk.

They exit the spacecraft through special doors called airlocks. A safety tether — like a rope — will be used to stay connected to the spacecraft. Tethers prevent astronauts from floating into space.

One of the main goals of AlNeyadi’s EVA is to retrieve a critical radio frequency group (RFG) unit, which is an integral part of the ISS’s S-band communications string. This vital communications device will return to Earth on a SpaceX flight.

In addition to the main mission, AlNeyadi and his team will also conduct a series of preparations related to the installation of EVA on the solar array planned for later in the mission. Solar panels play a key role in powering the International Space Station, providing clean and renewable energy to support various experiments, systems and daily operations on board.

Astronauts selected to perform spacewalks on the ISS undergo a rigorous selection process based on their skills, experience and adaptability to the challenging space environment. They must demonstrate extraordinary ability in various fields, including engineering, robotics and life support systems, as well as excellent physical fitness and mental resilience.

Spacewalks aboard the ISS are critical to maintaining, upgrading and enhancing the capabilities of the orbiting laboratory. They allow astronauts to perform tasks such as maintenance and repair of essential systems, installation of new technology and hardware, and assembly and construction of ISS modules. They symbolize international cooperation, where astronauts from different countries cooperate and facilitate the sharing of knowledge and resources.

Given the high risks associated with spacewalking, only select and qualified astronauts have the opportunity to perform this critical mission. Due to the pressure-resistant nature of spacesuits, the EVA process is not only physically challenging, but also mentally demanding—the astronauts must focus on the job they are doing, their safety, the multitude of potential tools, and the relationship with the crew. Interaction and mission control teams.

AlNeyadi trained for the spacewalk for more than 55 hours at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

During his time at the NBL, which holds 6.2 million gallons of water, AlNeyadi conducted nine 6-hour sessions, using a full model of the International Space Station to train for underwater simulated spacewalks.

Salem Humaid AlMarri, director general of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, called it “another giant leap” for the UAE’s national space programme, tweeting: “We have been preparing for this mission for three years. Sultan Already trained at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL), he is fully prepared to complete his training with fellow astronaut Stephen Bowen.”

The Emirati astronaut has been on the floating International Space Station for more than a month. He launched with his Crew-6 team members on March 2 at 9.34am UAE time. After a 25-hour flight, the crew docked with the International Space Station.

AlNeyadi recently received NASA’s gold astronaut pin, marking his entry into “elite astronaut ranks.”

The Emirati astronaut officially began Expedition 69 with his crew following the recent undocking of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft.

Human research activities dominate the ISS crew’s schedule, which includes ultrasound scans, vision and hearing checks. AlNeyadi participated in various activities with his crew. As an astronaut whose goal is to gain insight into heart conditions both induced in space and here on Earth, Bowen attached electrodes to himself and marked veins for vascular aging research. In another session, Bowen, Frank Rubio, and Dmitri Petelin performed vision checks on the crew, including AlNeyadi, using standard medical imaging equipment from an optometrist’s office here on Earth.

AlNeyadi focused on cargo work, unloading some of the 2,800 kilograms of new science experiments, crew supplies and space station hardware delivered by the SpaceX Dragon resupply ship.

In addition to maintenance missions aboard the ISS, Emiratis will be involved in community outreach programs including live calls and ham radio interactions.