Saudi astronauts embark on landmark space mission
- Date: 22-May-2023
- Source: Gulf Business
- Sector:Real Estate
- Country:Saudi Arabia
Saudi astronauts embark on landmark space mission
As part of Saudi Arabia’s space exploration programme, two Saudi astronauts are set to make history as they embark on a private mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Rayyanah Barnawi, a breast cancer researcher and the first female Arab astronaut, along with Saudi fighter pilot Ali al-Qarni, are headed to the ISS for a 10-day mission. Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali al-Qarni are set to blast off from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in Florida, US, on Sunday, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, reported Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The Crew Dragon capsule carrying the Ax-2 crew to and from the ISS is C212, which has previously been used in a mission in 2022. Joining them are Peggy Whitson, a NASA astronaut embarking on her fourth flight to the ISS, and John Shoffner, a Tennessee-based businessman who will serve as the pilot. Their mission is organized by Axiom Space, a private space company. Upon reaching the ISS on Monday, May 22 they will join Sultan Al-Neyadi, who is currently on the space station on a six-month mission. Rayyanah Barnawi’s career has been dedicated to breast cancer research. Barnawi expressed her excitement about being the first Saudi woman astronaut,