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Emirati astronaut Sultan Arneadi Two Saudi colleagues can join during his stay International Space Station next year.
Dr. Al Neyadi, 41, a former IT professional in Al Ain, was selected in July for a six-month milestone mission.
He will take off next spring Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket Head to the Floating Science Laboratory as part of the NASA/SpaceX Crew-6 mission. This will be the first long-term space mission in the Arab world.
Two unidentified Saudis are expected to take off in the second quarter of 2023 and spend two weeks on the space station as part of the Ax-2 private crew mission, Reuters reported.
U.S.-based aerospace company Axiom Space has helped both countries secure these trips.
Historic achievements are calling
If things go according to plan, the two Saudi astronauts will be the country’s first to reach the International Space Station — 37 years after the country sent its first Arab aboard NASA’s Space Shuttle Discovery space.
It will also mark the first time astronauts from two different Arab countries have entered space together, including the first Arab female astronaut from Saudi Arabia.
Michael Suffredini, president of Axiom Space, said the Saudi Arabia mission would expand the opportunity for human spaceflight to a larger share of the international community.
He made the announcement earlier this month.
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Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan bin Salman became the first Arab astronaut to fly aboard the U.S. space shuttle STS-51-G in 1985, but the kingdom has no long-term space program since that mission.
In a landmark mission in the Arab and Islamic worlds, photos show Prince Sultan reading the Quran and praying aboard the space shuttle.
Until 2019, when Emirati Major Hazza Al Mansouri headed to the International Space Station, no other Arab astronauts reached space.
Former fighter pilot Maj Al Mansouri spent a week in space, conducting 16 scientific experiments.
He wore kandura, a traditional Emirati dress, and visited the station live for the first time in Arabic.
Now, Dr. Al Neyadi is training for his trip to the International Space Station.
So far, the UAE’s Astronaut Corps has four members, the other two being Mohammed Al Mulla and female astronaut Nora Al Matrooshi.
Saudi Arabia announced the launch of its astronaut program on National Day, September 22, 2022.
Axiom Space has completed the AX-1 mission, the space station’s first all-private crew.
The privately funded mission launched on April 8 and returned to Earth on April 25.
American commercial companies are helping countries without launch capabilities create access to space.
Turkey has also secured a mission for one of its citizens through Axiom, which is expected to launch late next year to coincide with the country’s centennial.
This will be Turkey’s first astronaut in space.
The country launched an ambitious 10-year space program in 2021 that includes lunar exploration.
Updated: 10/1/2022 2:00am
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