Emirati astronaut with son before launch: We go to space today to pave the way for future generations

Mohammed bin Zayed to «Al Neyadi»: hopefully return to us safe and proud of your country

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President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan reassured astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi yesterday ahead of his journey to the International Space Station (ISS) today.

His Highness asked the President of the UAE, Sultan Al Neyadi, about his condition and his family, and Al Neyadi replied that all of them are fine and ready for that historic moment.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said: "hopefully you return to us safely and your country is proud of you and we rejoice in you, we rejoice in you and your brother Hazza, O Sultan, as your great deeds are known to all."

Sultan Al Neyadi replied: "You are always proactive in good and you are the ones who pave the way for us. You are in the front and we follow you in the march. My brother Hazza Al-Mansouri preceded me and carried the UAE flag and the slogan (Zayed's ambition), and this is a continuation of the march, and God willing, it will be followed by other stages and steps," adding: "What we seek is good and good, as the humanities are progressing, and God willing, the UAE will leave a mark in the first long mission for six months. There are many things we will convey, and in the name of the UAE we raise its flag, and enrich humanity in this mission."

His Highness the President of the UAE, Sultan Al Neyadi, directed to pay attention to his daily sport because of its benefit to his health, Sultan stressed that «a mandatory daily schedule has been set for two hours, especially since scientific research has proven that those who attend daily sports are in a better situation, in addition to that some have returned physically better than they were before the trip».

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan called for «Al Neyadi» success, saying: «God strengthens you and returns you safe and sound, and my peace to the family, and God willing, see you well», and responded Neyadi, saying: «hopefully celebrate you and with you and reach the borders of space».

For his part, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, said in a tweet on Twitter: "With Zayed's ambition, the son of the UAE, astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, embarks on a long-term mission lasting for 6 months at the International Space Station. We are proud of Sultan and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre team, and everyone who works to raise the name of the UAE in the spaces of possibilities."

His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, said in a tweet on Twitter: "A new dream comes true for the UAE under the leadership of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, Sultan Al Neyadi is launching to the International Space Station in the longest mission of an Arab astronaut, and with it our ambitions in creating the future of humanity grow. Al Neyadi's mission today is the story of the impossible that we tell the world about a people who set out with Zayed's ambition from the desert to embrace space."

Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi and the crew of the (Crew-6) mission in the longest space mission in Arab history will launch to the International Space Station, which extends for six months, where the mission crew will launch today (Monday) at 10:45 am, UAE time, aboard SpaceX's Dragon vehicle.

Al-Neyadi posted a picture of him on his official page on the site «Instagram» accompanied by his son and commented on it, saying: «We go to space today in order to pave the way for future generations, God willing», and posted a picture of the rocket «Falcon 9» and the Dragon vehicle the moment of reaching the launch pad.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre said in an introductory video about the mission, "The mission represents a dream achieved by the UAE to raise its flag on the International Space Station in a long-term mission, where he spends six months during which Al Neyadi conducts scientific experiments and research. A new appointment with Zayed's ambition."

The Centre published a photo of its officials during the recent preparations for the longest mission in Arab history, which included the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, Hamad Obaid Al Mansouri, the Vice President of the Centre, Yousef Hamad Al Shaibani, the Director General Salem Humaid Al Marri, and members of the Centre's team.

The mission crew is expected to follow four traditions before launching to the space station, starting with the crew exiting the quarantine headquarters to the launch pad in a private car, then taking a look at the rocket, signing on the white wall before entering the vehicle, then entering the Dragon capsule and making final preparations before launch.

According to the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, Al Neyadi will be accompanied by the Suhail doll, a doll prepared by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, which represents a zero gravity index during the Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station, where the doll wears the astronaut SpaceX suit during the mission.

The Suhail doll bears the name of Suhail's second brightest star in the sky, and she also accompanied astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri during the first Emirati mission to the International Station.

The Crew-6 mission is the first long-term mission for Arab astronauts and the second Emirati mission to the International Space Station, launched by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre as part of the UAE Astronaut Programme.

In addition to Sultan Al Neyadi, the mission crew includes astronaut Stephen Bowen (NASA), astronaut Warren Hoberg (NASA) and cosmonaut mission specialist Andrey Vidyyev (Roscosmos), while the mission's backup crew includes astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri, spacecraft pilot Yasmine Maghbeili (NASA), ESA pilot Andreas Mogensen and ESA's Konstantin Borisov.

The mission is part of Expedition 68/69, where Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Schep and Oleg Kononenko and NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara will later join the team. The term ISS expedition is usually applied to the crew that operates the space station and uses it for research and selection.

During the mission, Al Neyadi will conduct a series of experiments and advanced research in order to reach important scientific results about outer space, in addition to participating in an awareness and educational program, and the expected results of this mission will contribute to benefiting the scientific community and the space sector globally, and will make the UAE the first partner from outside the International Space Station and the 11th country in the world, which sends astronauts on long-term missions to the International Space Station, and works to train and prepare them for spacewalks.

The mission is scheduled to launch aboard the Dragon spacecraft, which was operated by SpaceX, where since 2022 the vehicle has completed three successful missions to the International Space Station, breaking the record for the longest space mission away from Earth's gravity.

The vehicle is 8.1 meters high, its capsule has a volume of 9.3 cubic meters with a capacity to accommodate seven people, and the maximum load mass is 6000,<> kg, and its diameter is four meters.

In preparation for the first long-term mission of Arab astronauts, astronauts Sultan Al Neyadi and Hazza Al Mansouri began training with NASA in early 2020, and over the past two years the two astronauts have undergone more than 1700,<> hours of general tests and training for the mission.

The exercises took place at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The astronauts underwent nine rounds of six-hour training, where they trained underwater to simulate spacewalks using the full model of the International Space Station.

Head of State of «Al Neyadi»:

"We rejoice in you and your brother Haza, O Sultan, for your great deeds are known to all."

"May God strengthen you and bring you back safe and sound, and my peace to the family, and God willing, we will see you well."

Hamdan bin Mohammed:

"We are proud of Sultan and all those who work to raise the name of the UAE in the spaces of the impossible."

Maktoum bin Mohammed:

"Al-Neyadi's mission is a story of the impossible to tell the world about a people who set out with Zayed's ambition from the desert to embrace space."

Glimpses of Sultan Al Neyadi's life

■ Born on May 23, 1981 in Um Ghafa area.

■ He distinguished himself in his education and excelled among his colleagues following in the footsteps of his father, a military man.

■ He joined the armed forces and was sent to study communications engineering.

■ Previously, he worked as a network security engineer for the UAE Armed Forces.

■ Bachelor's degree in Communications and Information Technology Engineering from the United Kingdom.

■ Obtained master's and doctoral degrees in information technology.

■ Received the astronaut badge from NASA's Johnson Space Center.

■ Reserve astronaut during Zayed's ambitious mission in 2019.

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