How UAE’s space journey continues to reach for the stars 3 years after Emirati astronaut’s launch to ISS

How UAE’s space journey continues to reach for the stars 3 years after Emirati astronaut’s launch to ISS

Emirates' second batch of astronauts are undergoing training at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston

Published: Sun 25 Sep 2022, 2:21 PM Last updated: Sun 25 Sep 2022, 2:59 PM

It has been three years since UAE witnessed the historical moment when Hazza Al Mansoori became the first Emirati to blast off into space.

Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre tweeted a video to mark the occasion:

Reminiscing about monumental stride taken by Hazza, astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi says, “On this day three years ago, Hazza Al Mansoori launched to space while all our hearts followed him to the launchpad.”

Al Neyadi was a backup crew member when Hazza Al Mansoori scripted history becoming the first Arab on the International Space Station (ISS). In 2023, he will go into space for a new mission.

In the same video Hazza Al Mansoori tells us more about the new mission. “In a few months in 2023, Sultan will take on the first Arab long duration astronaut mission. [He] will launch to space and I will be a backup crew member.”

Last month, images released by Nasa had shown former IT professional Al Neyadi in a SpaceX astronaut suit inside a Crew Dragon capsule. This will be the UAE’s second mission