UAE astronaut blasts off to ISS: Soon, 3 Arabs to be in space at the same time for first time ever

UAE astronaut blasts off to ISS: Soon, 3 Arabs to be in space at the same time for first time ever

Sultan AlNeyadi is expected to be joined by two 'najmonauts' from Saudi Arabia by the second quarter of this year

By Web Desk Published: Thu 2 Mar 2023, 2:52 PM Last updated: Thu 2 Mar 2023, 2:57 PM

Arabs are making progress by leaps and bounds in the world of space exploration.

On Thursday, March 2, UAE astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi made history when he blasted off to space aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The successful liftoff is not just a source of pride for the UAE, but the entire Arab world, as AlNeyadi's endeavour will mark the longest Arab space mission in history. He is also only the fourth Arab to make it to space.

And yet, while the region celebrates today's milestone, the Arab world will have one more major milestone to look forward to — sooner rather than later.

Landmark moment

Last year, it was announced that two astronauts from Saudi Arabia will journey to the International Space Station, joining AlNeyadi and his crew in the second quarter of this year. The two 'najmonauts' (a phrase coined from 'najm', the Arabic word for star) are Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni. Their arrival at