Dubai: The UAE astronaut, Mr. Sultan Al Neyadi, will return from the International Space Station (ISS) on 3 September 2023. The astronaut has successfully completed the longest Arab space mission in history.
Mr. Al Neyadi, along with NASA astronauts Mr. Stephen Bowen and Mr. Warren Hoburg, and Russian cosmonaut Mr. Andrey Fedyaev, spent six months in space. The mission was launched on 2 March 2023, in the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft.
They will depart the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft Endeavour on 2 September 2023. The team is set for a splashdown off the coast of Tampa, Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico.
This beautiful view will always remain etched in my mind From this region, a civilization of science and exploration emerged hundreds of years ago. Today, we are full of hope that our youth will build on this legacy to craft a great future.
Mr. Al Neyadi wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The 42-year-old Emirati astronaut has shared many exquisitely rare pictures and videos of space and Earth in the past six months.
During his stay at ISS, Mr. Al Neyadi was involved in over 200 experiments, partnering with international space agencies and UAE and global universities.
Mr. Al Neyadi has made significant contributions in various areas such as plant genetics, human life sciences, exploration technology, fluid dynamics, material science, protein crystallization growth, and advanced exploration technologies.
These experiments helped the scientific community, researchers, and students in the UAE and around the world become an integral part of the mission, supporting it in various capacities.
On this mission, Mr. Al Nayedi became the first Arab to complete a spacewalk.
Mr. Al Neyadi actively participated in 19 educational and community outreach events called “A Call from Space” series, where more than 10,000 individuals from diverse backgrounds engaged in live video calls and ham radio sessions with the Emirati astronaut.