SpaceX sends four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA on Thursday
Written byTimes Magazine
The Falcon rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center just after midnight, lighting up the night sky as it headed toward the east coast. ,, Nearly 80 spectators from the United Arab Emirates watched from the launch site as astronaut Sultan al-Neyadi, only the second Emirati to fly into space, lifted off on his six-month mission.
Halfway around the world in Dubai and elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates, schools and offices planned to broadcast the launch live.
Also aboard the Dragon capsule, scheduled to arrive at the space station Friday: NASA's Stephen Bowen, a retired Navy diver who has completed three Space Shuttle flights, and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, a former Institute of Massachusetts Technology research scientist and newcomer to space. and Andrei Fedyaev, a space newcomer who has retired from the Russian Air Force.
The first launch attempt was aborted at the last minute on Monday due to a clogged filter in the engine ignition system.
They are replacing an American-Russian-Japanese crew who have been there since October. The station's other residents are two Russians and an American, whose six-month stay was doubled to September after their Soyuz capsule leaked.A replacement Soyuz arrived last weekend.
Al-Neyadi, a communications engineer, served as a backup for the first Emirati astronaut, Hazzaa al-Mansoori, who traveled to the space station on a Russian rocket for a week-long visit in 2019. The oil-rich association paid for al-Nayadi's seat on the SpaceX flight.
UAE Minister of Public Education and Advanced Technology Sarah al-Amiri said the long mission "gives us a new place for science and scientific discovery for the country".
"We don't want to just fly into space and not have much to do or have no impact there," said Salem al-Marri, director general of the UAE Space Center in Dubai.
The Emirates already have a spacecraft in orbit around Mars, and a mini-rover flies to the moon with a Japanese lander. Two new UAE astronauts train with NASA's newest astronauts in Houston.
Saudi Prince Sultan bin Salman was the first Arab in space, launching aboard the shuttle Discovery in 1985. Two years later he was followed by Syrian astronaut Muhammed Faris, launched from Russia. Both were in space for about a week.
Al-Neyadi will join two Saudi astronauts this spring flying to the space station on a short private SpaceX flight paid for by their government.
"It's going to be really exciting, really interesting," having three Arabs in space at once, he said last week. "Our region is also curious."
Halfway around the world in Dubai and elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates, schools and offices planned to broadcast the launch live.
Also aboard the Dragon capsule, scheduled to arrive at the space station Friday: NASA's Stephen Bowen, a retired Navy diver who has completed three Space Shuttle flights, and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, a former Institute of Massachusetts Technology research scientist and newcomer to space. and Andrei Fedyaev, a space newcomer who has retired from the Russian Air Force.
The first launch attempt was aborted at the last minute on Monday due to a clogged filter in the engine ignition system.
They are replacing an American-Russian-Japanese crew who have been there since October. The station's other residents are two Russians and an American, whose six-month stay was doubled to September after their Soyuz capsule leaked.A replacement Soyuz arrived last weekend.
Al-Neyadi, a communications engineer, served as a backup for the first Emirati astronaut, Hazzaa al-Mansoori, who traveled to the space station on a Russian rocket for a week-long visit in 2019. The oil-rich association paid for al-Nayadi's seat on the SpaceX flight.
UAE Minister of Public Education and Advanced Technology Sarah al-Amiri said the long mission "gives us a new place for science and scientific discovery for the country".
"We don't want to just fly into space and not have much to do or have no impact there," said Salem al-Marri, director general of the UAE Space Center in Dubai.
The Emirates already have a spacecraft in orbit around Mars, and a mini-rover flies to the moon with a Japanese lander. Two new UAE astronauts train with NASA's newest astronauts in Houston.
Saudi Prince Sultan bin Salman was the first Arab in space, launching aboard the shuttle Discovery in 1985. Two years later he was followed by Syrian astronaut Muhammed Faris, launched from Russia. Both were in space for about a week.
Al-Neyadi will join two Saudi astronauts this spring flying to the space station on a short private SpaceX flight paid for by their government.
"It's going to be really exciting, really interesting," having three Arabs in space at once, he said last week. "Our region is also curious."
He takes many appointments to share with his crewmates, especially during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, which begins this month. Regarding the observance of Ramadan in orbit, he said that fasting is not mandatory as it could weaken him and jeopardize his mission.
Bowen, the crew leader, said that despite the differences between their countries, the four came together well as a team. Also with tension about the war in Ukraine, the USAThe US and Russia have continued to work together on the space station, swapping seats on trips there.
"It's great to get the chance to fly with these guys," said Bowen.
Bowen, the crew leader, said that despite the differences between their countries, the four came together well as a team. Also with tension about the war in Ukraine, the USAThe US and Russia have continued to work together on the space station, swapping seats on trips there.
"It's great to get the chance to fly with these guys," said Bowen.
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