First female Arab astronaut in space soon: Liftoff date, training, duration of Saudi mission explained

First female Arab astronaut in space soon: Liftoff date, training, duration of Saudi mission explained

Several firsts will be achieved in this historic mission, including first time two Arab countries are represented in the orbiting space laboratory

Published: Sat 20 May 2023, 6:00 AM

Two Saudi astronauts will blast off to space in the early hour of Monday to join UAE astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Several firsts will be achieved in this historic space mission, including having the first female Arab astronaut in space, the first time two Arab countries are represented in the orbiting space laboratory, and the first time three Arab astronauts will work together on a scientific mission 400kms above Earth.

Here, we give you the lowdown on this landmark moment in space history, and how the Middle East has the potential to become a leader in the global space industry.

Who are the Saudi astronauts? When is liftoff?

Rayyanah Barnawi, 33, is set to become the first Arab female Muslim astronaut to go to space. She and compatriot Ali AlQarni, 31, are part of the Axiom Mission-2 (Ax-2) that will lift off from Kennedy Space Center at 1.37am (UAE time) on Monday (May 22) aboard the Dragon Freedom crew that will be sent to space by SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Ali AlQarni. Photo: