UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi arrived at the Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, along with his Crew-6 colleagues before his long-haul mission to International Space Station.
Previously announced to take off on February 26, the mission will now take off on February 27 at 10:45am (UAE time) according to the UAE’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC).
During the 6-month mission, a total of 250 research experiments will be carried out which will include Al Neyadi conducting at least 20 experiments, apart from the tasks consigned by Nasa and doing maintenance work on the orbiting station.
“Our region is also thirsty to learn, and we ambassadors of science hope to bring more knowledge when we come back,” Al Neyadi said in a press conference held at the Kennedy Space Centre.
Aside from conducting experiments, Al Neyadi also wants to spread Emirati culture in space. He is planning to take dates with him during the 6-month mission to share with his crew members aboard the International Space Station (ISS), as he will be spending the whole month of Ramadan in space.
The teams for this mission are prepared and everything is in order for the scheduled launch. “We have a great team and can’t ask for more. We are ready – physically, mentally and technically for this mission, through which we aim to share knowledge and spread enthusiasm for space exploration,” Al Neyadi said in his speech.
He will be spending his time in space with the Crew-6 which consists of two Nasa astronauts, Mission Commander Stephen Bowen and Pilot Warren Hoburg, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, who will serve as mission specialists, to the space station for a science expedition mission. They will fly aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft Endeavour, carried by the company’s Falcon 9 rocket.
The mission will make the UAE only the 11th country to send an astronaut on a long-term mission to space.
