Sultan Al Neyadi gets ready to return to Earth
Sultan Al Neyadi is preparing to return to Earth after completing a six-month mission to the International Space Station. The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre said the astronaut will be welcomed back home as a hero.
The return should take place in late August or early September, the timing depending on the arrival of a new crew to the ISS. After returning from space, Sultan Al Neyadi will undergo medical rehabilitation, as well as participate in scientific experiments.
Sultan Al Neyadi travelled to the ISS in March 2023, the father of six children has conducted more than 200 scientific studies on board, as well as becoming the first Arab and the first Muslim to perform a spacewalk.
After returning to the UAE, he will tour schools, universities and government departments to talk about his space journey. He said he would like to stay on the station for another six months if given the opportunity.
“When I come back, I will definitely miss the microgravity. I will miss the view of Earth from space,” said Sultan Al Neyadi, who also said he was looking forward to eating home-cooked food and drinking a cup of fresh coffee.
As previously reported, a Dubai resident of Pakistani origin named Namira Saleem will be travelling to space as part of Virgin Galactic’s tourist flights. Ms Saleem was one of the first people to buy a ticket to space for US$ 200,000 in 2006.
Currently, the ticket costs at least US$ 450,000. The 52-year-old adventurer has waited 17 years for the opportunity to fly on a Virgin Galactic spacecraft on the most exciting journey of her life.
Namira Saleem became the first Pakistani and UAE resident to buy a ticket for a suborbital flight in Sir Richard Branson’s company, earning her the title of founding astronaut. The exact date of the flight is being kept secret for now and the journey time will be 70-90 minutes.
Source: The National
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