UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi does ‘stellar’ job for Saudi counterparts’ stem cell experiment in space

UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi does ‘stellar’ job for Saudi counterparts’ stem cell experiment in space

Dubai: After welcoming his two Saudi counterparts to the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday, UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi has swung into action to support their space experiments. The Sultan of Space, who is on the longest Arab space mission aboard the ISS, was joined by Rayyanah Barnawi, the first female Arab astronaut, and her colleague Ali Al Qarni, to form the largest group of Najmonauts (Arab astronauts) in space. The duo along with their Axiom Mission-2 (Ax-2) crew members Peggy Whitson and John Shoffner are expected to conduct experiments on board the space station for eight days. Al Neyadi, who turned 42 on Tuesday, has spared no time in assisting them with their science experiments, according to an update from the US space agency NASA. “In the middle of the new crew adaptation activities, there was still time for ongoing space science and lab maintenance activities,” stated NASA. Al Neyadi set up the Stellar Stem Cells experiment, an Ax-2 investigation, that will explore regenerative medicine therapies, it added. One of the best-known types of regenerative medicine, stem cell therapy promotes the repair response of diseased, dysfunctional or injured tissue using stem cells or their derivatives. It is the