Astronaut mission to make history is latest step for a nation with grand space ambitions

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Astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi hung upside down, excitedly moving the microphone in mid-air, and laughed when asked if he had ever seen an alien.

“Not yet,” he replied, before pulling out a blue stuffed animal in a spacesuit. “But everyone thinks Sohail (the toy) is an alien. So, if he’s an alien, then yes.”

Known as the ‘Sultan of Space’, Al Neiyadi from the United Arab Emirates spent three months entertaining a group of schoolchildren in the Gulf country and teaching them the wonders of the universe via video link – all while floating in the distance. A hundred kilometers away on the International Space Station.

When Arneiadi isn’t entertaining Earthlings, he spends his time repairing the orbiting lab and conduct experiment For NASA. Already the first Arab to be deployed on a long-duration space mission, he also became the first Arab astronaut to perform a spacewalk in April. The purpose of the spacewalk, which lasted seven hours, was to update the power channels of the International Space Station.

“I didn’t feel that way because I was really focused on the mission, and it’s just amazing to see you floating in the air in a space suit,” Arneiadi told CNN’s Becky Anderson. “It’s like a small spacecraft. It provides oxygen and carbon dioxide scrubbing and cooling, and all that keeps you from dying is a small layer of glass.”

Al Neyyadi’s mission is just the latest milestone in space for the UAE, which is fast becoming a leading force in galactic exploration in the Arab world. CNN dialed up the International Space Station from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) in Dubai, which has become an incubator for the Gulf state’s cosmic ambitions.

Founded in 2006MBRSC launched 2009 first satellite In 2018, the first orbiting KhalifaSat built entirely by the UAE achieved its crowning achievement to date in 2021, the Hope Probe, the Arab nation’s first mission to Mars. MBRSC plans to launch largest satellite yet MBZ-SAT, next year.

This investment in space is not out of cosmic curiosity — it’s part of a broader plan to build the UAE’s post-oil economy. In the fast-paced international space race, in which superpowers such as the United States and China compete, strategic vision is critical.

“Our aim is always to try and do these exciting projects and really put the UAE at the forefront of exploration,” MBRSC Director General Salem Al Marri told CNN during a tour of the facility. “All of this It’s all about data. They say the new gold or the new oil is data.”

The projects are part of a burgeoning global space industry, currently worth about $5 trillion and set to double in size by 2030, According to McKinsey. Satellites launched into space by the UAE can already track data such as climate change and urban development, while technology elsewhere is being used to improve internet speed and credit card transaction processing.

“So if you’re tracking cars, airplanes, environmental purposes, whatever, you can use hundreds or even thousands of applications from a single image,” Al Marri said.

Al Marri is particularly excited about the potential of UAE-built satellites, including KhalifaSat and the upcoming MBZ-SAT. This country doesn’t just want to launch orbit, it wants to build an industry around orbit.

“The beauty of this satellite is that it was completely designed by our team,” Al Marri said of MBZ-SAT. “All project management, every piece you see here is designed and project managed by our team.”

The nature of space exploration has changed dramatically over the past decade. While once the remit of governments and national programs, more recently private corporations and billionaires have taken on the responsibility of pushing the boundaries of human understanding of the universe—especially as the monetization of the universe becomes more viable.

“Space is largely government-led, so because of the need for these kinds of satellites, governments invest a lot. But that doesn’t mean the private sector can’t lead the way,” Al-Mari said. “In a country like the UAE, it’s government-funded, government-overseen, but now it’s the private sector that’s building.”

Not only are satellites a potential goldmine, but space tourism is a new frontier.Elon Musk’s SpaceX with Jeff Bezos blue origin It has given tourists a glimpse of the universe.Just this week, Virgin Galactic First commercial crewed space flight launched.

The UAE will also soon explore this aspect of the industry.

“I see space tourism as a way for the general public, or at least the very wealthy general public, to have the opportunity to experience weightlessness and be a part of the space industry,” Al Mari said. “The UAE can make a difference there.”