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UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi took another giant leap for the country's space sector as he returned to Earth on Monday following a six-month mission on the International Space Station.
Al Neyadi splashed down on Earth at 8.17am UAE time aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, along with three other astronauts, including Stephen Bowen, Warren Hoburg, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida. After returning to shore, the crew was set to fly to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
“After spending six months aboard the International Space Station, logging nearly 79 million miles during their mission, and completing hundreds of scientific experiments for the benefit of all humanity, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 has returned home to planet Earth,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in a media statement. “This international crew represented three nations, but together they demonstrated humanity’s shared ambition to reach new cosmic shores. The contributions of Crew-6 will help prepare NASA to return to the Moon under Artemis, continue onward to Mars, and improve life here on Earth.”
Hopes of the Arab world
As the first person from the Arab world to spend an extended time in orbit, Al Neyadi’s historic journey saw him spend 184 days aboard the space station and completing 2,976 orbits around Earth. The highlight of the mission perhaps was the spacewalk that captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of Arabs around the world.
For the UAE, Al Neyadi’s journey marked a major milestone in the country’s investment in the space sector, which has already surpassed the AED22 billion mark, according to the state news agency, through satellite communications systems, Earth and space exploration, data transmission services, satellite broadcasting, and mobile satellite communications, among others.
Spanning 10 sectors, the UAE’s space economy, which is a part of the country’s strategic plan over the next 50 years, includes space mining, space stations, space companies, sustainability and recycling in space, settlements, space tourism, manufacturing, and space academies. Public and private sector support for the UAE space programme has exceeded $5.4 billion, according to WAM.
As Al Neyadi celebrates his success, the country stands united in marking this special occasion, with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed leading the celebrations as he took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to write: “Sultan Al Neyadi, the people of the UAE are immensely proud of you and the entire team for achieving major advances in space exploration. You carried the dreams of a nation to new frontiers, and we celebrate your pioneering journey and safe return.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, also posted a message on X in Arabic, congratulating the people of the UAE on the safe return of Al Neyadi and taking note of the journey as an inspirational story for millions of young Arabs.
(Writing by Bindu Rai, editing by Seban Scaria)
