3…2…1 Liftoff! A news update from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center has informed us the journey of the first & longest Arab Space Mission has commenced. Astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi and his 6 crewmates have liftoff for a six-month journey to ISS. The three-day wait has felt the longest to us and the astronauts. Let’s find out more about this iconic space mission.
The Initial Date Of Launch Was 26th Feb 2023
Launch sequence complete: Sultan AlNeyadi and the Crew-6 team are now on their way to the International Space Station.#UAE2space#TheLongestArabSpaceMission
— MBR Space Centre (@MBRSpaceCentre) March 2, 2023
The first launch attempt had to be aborted in the last two seconds of the countdown due to an “unusual data signature” from the combustion fuel of the Falcon-9 rocket. The first Arab long-duration astronaut mission’s original launch window was slated for February 26 at 11.07 a.m. (UAE time). On Wednesday, the operation was granted the all-clear with a 95% likelihood of favourable weather after a comprehensive inspection of all systems.
Also Read: Burj Khalifa Pays A Towering Tribute To The UAE Space Mission Ahead Of Blast-Off Today
Go, Dragon! Go, Falcon!
The Dragon spacecraft has separated from the Falcon 9 rocket.#UAE2space#TheLongestArabSpaceMission
— MBR Space Centre (@MBRSpaceCentre) March 2, 2023
The excitement in the air of MBRSpace Center can’t be anticipated. AlNeyadi, a mission expert will spend six months on board the International Space Station. He also discussed the rapid expansion of the UAE Astronaut Programme. Sultan stated that Hazzaa AlMansoori’s voyage to orbit in 2019 highlighted the UAE’s continued presence in space. Al Neyadi quoted that they are currently debating the second voyage to the International Space Station, which their Prime Minister promised would keep these flights going. This time, the threshold was raised to six months, and two more astronauts are currently undergoing training with the class of ’23.
Sultan AlNeyadi discussed the research he and the other crew members would do inside the microgravity laboratory during the NASA Crew-6 press briefing on Wednesday night.
Ramadan In ISS
لحظات تاريخية… صاروخ فالكون 9 انطلق، ورائد الفضاء سلطان النيادي وزملائه في طاقم Crew-6 يتوجهون الآن إلى محطة الفضاء الدولية.#طموح_زايد #أطول_مهمة_فضائية_في_تاريخ_العرب pic.twitter.com/2bp39Q79B8
— MBR Space Centre (@MBRSpaceCentre) March 2, 2023
Being in space for six months is both a wonderful honour and a duty. The crew will travel throughout Ramadan and Eid at this time. He can truly break his fast, which is a criterion of a traveller. You are allowed to consume enough food and avoid doing anything that might endanger the operation or put the crew at risk due to dehydration or a shortage of food. AlNeyadi, Hoburg, and Fedyaev will all be flying in space for the first time, while Bowen will be flying on his fourth space mission.
The UAE will become just the eleventh nation in the world to send astronauts on an extended voyage to space thanks to the planned expedition.
Cover Image Courtesy: Twitter/ Sultan Al Neyadi
First Published: March 02, 2023 11:58 AM