UAE Signs Agreement to Send Emirati Astronaut to ISS for 182 Days

UAE Signs Agreement to Send Emirati Astronaut to ISS for 182 Days

The United Arab Emirates has announced the launch of a new space mission to the International Space Station that will last for six months.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) signed a new strategic cooperation in human spaceflight with Axiom Space Inc., a leading human spaceflight and infrastructure company.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said: "We launched the 'UAE Astronaut program' more than five years ago. The UAE sent the first Arab astronaut on a historic trip to the International Space Station... Today we announce a new cooperation between the UAE and the United States of America to send an Emirati astronaut on the first long-term mission aboard the International Space Station".

"Signing the agreement to send the first Arab astronaut in a long-term mission of 180 days to the International Space Station is new milestone for the UAE space sector. The UAE will be among 11 countries in the world that carried out long-term space missions."

He said the UAE space sector is constantly evolving. “The new mission will add new experiences and knowledge to Emirati astronaut and the scientific community.”

The deal will further strengthen collaboration between the MBRSC and the American space