Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre announces successful launch of 'Zayed's Ambition 2', the longest space mission in Arab history

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has announced the successful launch of the "Zayed Ambition 2" mission by Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi to the International Space Station, the longest space mission in Arab history.

The mission crew is now inside SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, where they will spend about 24 hours in orbit around Earth before docking with the International Space Station.

On the occasion of this achievement, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan stressed that participating in this mission is an important aspect of the UAE's vision to enhance its contribution to future sciences.

His Highness said: "The participation of the people of the UAE in this space mission is an influential qualitative step towards achieving our vision for future generations and strengthening their presence as a key partner in shaping the future."

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan added that the UAE has an ambitious national strategy aimed at developing its cadres and qualifying them strongly to be at the forefront of scientific exploration.

For his part, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, stressed that the country's ambition in the field of space would leave a strong imprint worthy of the name of the UAE. We are keen to consolidate our presence in this promising sector and leave a strong imprint worthy of the name of the UAE."

His Highness pointed out that the ambition of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan has always been a source of inspiration for the people of the UAE to continue to excel. And he drew for us the features of the road we are walking so that we will always be at the forefront. Now, with Zayed's ambition, we are participating in the longest space mission in Arab history."

The UAE's second mission, to send Emirati astronauts to the International Space Station, was launched from Complex 39A at Cape Canaveral Space Base, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida, where the launch took place today at 9:34 am UAE time, and the flight will arrive at the International Space Station on Friday, March 3 at 10.17 am, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

After successfully carrying the Crew Dragon capsule, which the mission crew is onboard, into low orbit, the Falcon 9 rocket returned to Earth.

- Crew Mission – 6.
Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi will be the mission specialist, along with astronaut Stephen Bowen, mission commander, from NASA, astronaut Warren Hoberg, commander of the spacecraft, and cosmonaut Andrey Vidyev, mission specialist, from Roscosmos. The mission will be part of Mission 68/69 to the International Space Station.

The concept of an expedition to the International Space Station refers to the crews that are on board the station to conduct experiments and scientific research, and these expeditions can include between 2 to 7 astronauts, and may last up to 6 months. These flights are numbered sequentially, and this sequence gradually increases as the number of flights increases in the future.

The crew of "Mission 68" is currently aboard the International Space Station, and the crew consists of American astronauts from NASA: Francisco Rubio, Josh Casada and Nicole Mann, as well as astronaut Koichi Wakata from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and astronauts from Roscosmos, Dmitry Petlin, Sergey Prokobyev and Anna Kikina.

Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Chairman of MBRSC, said: "As we explore the depths of space, we have high hopes and dreams for our homeland and urge us to make history. Today, we celebrate the successful launch of the longest space mission in Arab history, an inspiring vision for future generations. We are grateful to our wise leaders who have given us full support; support has been a source of strength and inspiration for the MBRSC team in facing all challenges. Our mission will always remain to raise the UAE flag high and remain at the forefront of contributing to scientific achievements."

Salem Humaid Al Marri, Director General of MBRSC, said: "Following the successful launch of the second Emirati astronaut mission and the longest space mission in Arab history, we have proven that our aspirations are limitless and that we are capable of achieving the impossible. I congratulate Sultan Al Neyadi and the entire team behind this mission, and worked hard to make this historic moment a reality we are living in now. We look forward to the next 180 days aboard the International Space Station."

- Scientific research and experiments.
Crew-6 astronauts will conduct several scientific experiments, some of which will include new scientific research to prepare for human missions beyond low Earth orbit, and then benefit from their results in various life sciences on Earth. During these six months, 13 face-to-face calls, 10 wireless calls, and community outreach sessions will be conducted with the Emirates Literature Foundation.

The experiments the crew will conduct include studies on how certain materials burn in microgravity, tissue chips on heart, brain and cartilage function, and an investigation that will collect microbial samples from outside the space station.

According to NASA, these experiments are a collection of more than 200 scientific experiments and technical demonstrations that will be conducted during the mission. Mission 68/69 also includes working on the installation of the final parts of "iRosa", which are solar panels that are installed on the International Space Station, in addition to conducting experiments and scientific research.

During the mission, Sultan Al Neyadi will conduct more than 19 scientific experiments and advanced studies, in cooperation with NASA, European Space Agency, Canadian Space, the National Center for Space Studies in France, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), covering a range of areas, most notably the cardiovascular system, back pain, testing and experimenting with technologies, epigenetics, the immune system, fluid science, plants, materials, in addition to the study of sleep and radiation.

The mission will also include an educational and awareness program to inspire the next generation of scientists and researchers, as the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre has selected two research projects from the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, the first of which will focus on assessing the impact of the microgravity environment in space on the interaction between the heart and body posture.

The second project will study the cells of the mouth and teeth on Earth in an environment that simulates microgravity. A number of students and researchers will participate in both projects, to ensure capacity development and the qualification of a new generation of scientists.

- Community initiative.
To increase communication with the UAE community and future generations, MBRSC has collaborated with the Emirates Literature Foundation to build a knowledge-based programme. As part of this partnership, both parties launched ELF in Space – an educational initiative that seeks to boost the uptake of learning in the community.

During the six months that astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi will spend on the International Space Station, the Emirates Literature Foundation will collaborate with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre to broadcast weekly episodes of interviews, information and facts, competitions and various activities.

These seminars will provide an opportunity for all students in the UAE to ask their questions to astronaut Sultan.

The center aims to reach 20,<> students and children through this initiative, which is set to become a milestone in interactive education, to benefit from the results of the UAE space mission.

-Next steps.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will now perform a series of orbital maneuvers, monitored by both the crew and the control center to guide the spacecraft towards the space-facing port of the Harmony module on the International Space Station.

The spacecraft's orbit will then gradually rise through a series of maneuvers, completing the docking process with the station within minutes. Although the docking process is automatic, the team can perform it manually if necessary.

Following the successful docking with the International Space Station, the astronauts of Mission 68 will hold a welcome ceremony to welcome the crew of Crew 6. As for the crew of the Crew 5 mission, they will return to Earth again a few days after the arrival of the crew 6, and are expected to land off the coast of Florida.

While on the International Space Station, the crew of Crew 6 will be able to witness the arrival of cargo spacecraft, including the SpaceX Dragon cargo vehicle and Progress. They will also have the opportunity to welcome the astronauts of the Axiom 2 mission and the crew of the Boeing orbital flight test mission.

The Tomouh Zayed 2 mission is part of the UAE Astronaut Programme managed by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and is one of the projects funded by the ICT Fund, part of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), which aims to support research and development in the ICT sector.