UAE chooses astronaut for 6-month ISS mission

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The UAE's Sultan Al Neyadi has been selected as the first Arab astronaut to be part of a six-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

With this, the UAE will become the 11th country in history to send a long-term mission to space.

Al Neyadi will be part of the SpaceX Crew-6 mission scheduled for launch next year from Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre.

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan congratulated Al Neyadi.

He said this historic milestone builds on the strong foundations of the UAE’s space programme.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, also expressed pride in the achievement.

He said it's yet another example of Emirati youth raising the UAE's aspirations to the sky.

Al Neyadi will spend six months aboard the ISS, during which he will conduct many in-depth and advanced scientific experiments.

He will be the second Emirati astronaut to fly to space, after Hazza Al Mansouri spent eight days in the ISS in 2019.

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