The next Arab achievement in space will involve two Saudi astronauts who are heading to the International Space Station for a 10-day mission.
Rayyanah Barnawi, who is set to become the first Arab female in space, and Ali Al Qarni will be part of the Axiom-2 mission on May 12 from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
It comes nearly 40 years after Saudi Arabia sent the first Arab to space.
Prince Sultan bin Salman went on a week-long trip on the Space Shuttle in 1985.
With the launch only about two months away, The National takes a look at how the Saudi astronauts have been training.
Living in a space habitat
The Ax-2 astronauts have taken part in the Human Exploration Research Analogue (Hera) programme to prepare themselves for their trip.
They spent a week inside the habitat, a small three-storey structure at Nasa's Johnson Space Centre in Houston, which simulates space travel.
The habitat serves as a ground-based analogue for isolation, confinement and remote conditions in exploration scenarios.
"The Hera programme not only prepared us for the physical demands of space travel but also helped us develop the teamwork and communication skills necessary for a successful mission," Mr Al Qarni tweeted.
During their time in the habitat, the crew completed tasks they will conduct on the ISS, underwent rigorous training using equipment and worked through emergency scenarios.
Cooking up space food
The crew has also been learning how to prepare food while on the space station.
Water is heavy, so astronauts usually take dehydrated meals, freeze-dried food and powdered beverages to space, as it helps reduce weight and save storage space.
"Preparing food in space is different than on Earth," Mr Al Qarni tweeted on February 24, along with photos of himself and Ms Barnawi.
Astronauts add water or reheat their food before consumption.
It is thought the Saudi crew will be taking traditional cuisine into space although this has not been made official.
Prince Salman had a special menu on the shuttle, including sweet and sour chicken, boiled sweetcorn, cauliflower cheese, tuna salad, pasta, shrimp, salmon, fried chicken, hot chocolate, fruit and vegetables and decaffeinated coffee and tea.
UAE's first astronaut took traditional Emirati dishes, including balaleet (an Emirati breakfast staple of sweetened vermicelli served with an omelette on top), salona (chicken stew) and madrooba (a savoury thick oatmeal).
And Dr Al Neyadi has also taken dates and other Arab dishes. The full menu will be announced at a later date.
Learning about the station
The Saudi astronauts are also being trained on the systems and equipment on the ISS.
They will dock on the Harmony module, the American segment of the station.
"One of the highlights of astronaut training is having the opportunity to learn about innovative space technologies that are used on board the ISS," Mr Al Qarni said last week.
Ms Al Barnawi and Mr Al Qarni will serve as mission specialists on the ISS, which means they will be conducting scientific experiments and outreach activities.
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
