Dubai: The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has successfully launched the “Zayed Ambition 2” mission, led by astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, to the International Space Station (ISS).
The ‘Zayed Ambition 2’ Mission is a part of the UAE Astronaut Program, which is one of the projects managed by MBRSC under the UAE’s National Space Program and funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA).
The mission is the longest Arab space mission in history. Inside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, the space travellers will spend around 24 hours in orbit circling the Earth, before docking with the ISS on March 3 at 10:17 AM.
The President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan stressed that the country’s participation in this mission reflects its vision and directions in strengthening its contributions to future sciences. The President observed that “the participation of Emiratis in this mission is seen as a step closer towards achieving our vision of ensuring a better future for generations and strengthening their participation in building the future.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, affirmed that the ambitions of the UAE in the space sector are a clear reflection of its vision of shaping the future. The Vice President commented that “our ambition in exploring space sciences is limitless, and we are keen on strengthening our position in this promising sector.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid affirmed the UAE’s keenness to complement the ambitions of the late founding father, Sheikh Zayed by stating that “we are always inspired by the ambitions of our founding father. This can be seen most clearly today by our participation in ‘Zayed Ambition 2’, the longest Arab space mission in history.”\
The UAE’s second endeavour to send Emirati astronauts for space exploration took off from Launch Complex 39A at Cape Canaveral at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, launching on top of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Mr. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori at Chairman, MBRSC, shared that “today, we celebrate not just the successful launch of the longest Arab space mission in history, but the realisation of a vision that will inspire generations to come. We are highly grateful for our wise leadership, whose constant support is a source of strength and inspiration for the team to constantly take on new challenges.”