Astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi honors UAE leaders on Father’s Day from space

DUBAI: Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neiyadi, who was on the longest Arab space mission aboard the International Space Station, paid tribute to the UAE leader and his own father in a special Father’s Day message from space.

Arneiadi chose to honor the father figure in his life in a social media post on Wednesday’s International Father’s Day.

On behalf of the entire country and his own father Saif Al Neyyadi, he extended his condolences to the Father of the Nation, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed His Highness Al Nahyan salutes.

In a tribute to the visionary father of the nation, Al Neiyadi paid tribute to Sheikh Zayed, “We are honored to be able to realize his dream”.

Sheikh Zayed’s vision, wisdom and determination laid the foundation for the UAE’s progress and prosperity, and the country’s space exploration began with his dream of the UAE one day taking to the stars. Al Neiyadi is the second Emirati astronaut to fly on a space mission named after Sheikh Zayed.

Zayed Ambition 2 of the UAE Astronaut Programme, an ambitious project of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Agency in Dubai, will live aboard the International Space Station, conduct science experiments in the microgravity environment of the orbiting laboratory, and From there explore space and Earth.

Al Neyadi also paid tribute to President Sheikh Mohammed, acknowledging him as an inspirational leader and the country striving to follow in his footsteps.

Along with the post, the astronaut shared a photo of Sheikh Mohammed visiting his home in Al Ain months before his space odyssey, seen from window 6 of the space station in the background The magnificent view of the earth.

The historic photo taken last September shows Sheikh Mohammed talking to Al Neyadi’s father and the astronaut himself, all three wearing masks during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a tweet shared after the visit, Al Neiyadi said the president’s visit was “absolutely the best motivation for me and all those working in the space sector in the UAE”.

“We assure you that you will do your best to represent our country on future space missions,” he said.

In his Father’s Day message, Al Neyadi called his father Saif Al Neyadi his “inspiration” and thanked him for being his “guiding light”.

Saif Al Neyadi, a former military officer, inspired his son to join the military before becoming an astronaut.

Son Arneiadi earlier acknowledged the invaluable support, encouragement and teaching his father provided, which played a key role in his personal and professional success.

Saif Al Neyadi said on March 2, hours before his son flew to the International Space Station from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA: Proud of the Sultan, not because he is my son, but because he is a son of an Emirati.”