Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi will finally begin his journey to Earth on Sunday - after his stay in space was extended by bad weather back home.
Nasa has given Dr Al Neyadi and his crewmates the green light to undock from the International Space Station at 3.05pm, UAE time.
They will depart aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule to begin their 15-hour journey home, with a splashdown off the coast of Florida at 8.17am on Monday.
"The Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, will undock, depart the space station, and return important and time-sensitive research to Earth," Nasa said on Saturday.
"The spacecraft will splash down at one of seven targeted landing zones in the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida."
The undocking was delayed from September 2 because of unsuitable weather.
Dr Al Neyadi's return on Monday will bring to a close a historic six-month mission aboard the station.
He will share the trip home with three Crew-6 colleagues, Nasa astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
Dr Al Neyadi arrived on the ISS on March 3, following in the footsteps of the country's first man in space, Hazza Al Mansouri.
He participated in the Arab world's first long-duration space mission. He is the first Arab to perform a spacewalk.
Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre announced the timings of his return trip on Thursday.
The UAE public can watch Dr Al Neyadi's voyage live through the MBRSC website, at www.mbrsc.ae/live.
Al Neyadi returns to Earth
Sunday, September 3
Live coverage of undocking procedure, with undocking scheduled for 3.05pm.
Monday, September 4
Live coverage of splashdown, no earlier than 8.07am.
Dr Al Neyadi spent his time on the station conducting more than 200 science investigations and outreach activities.
He will spend his first few days back on Earth undergoing medical tests in the US, before returning to the UAE to attend celebrations.
He will then travel back to the US for more mission debriefing.
Once he is in the UAE for a more extended stay, he will participate in nationwide roadshows to share his experiences.
'I gained a new family'
The father-of-six from Al Ain paid tribute to his crew mates on Thursday as he prepared for an emotional homecoming.
He spoke of the close bonds he had developed with his fellow astronauts during his months in space, saying he had “gained a new family”.
“We began the mission as crewmates, but now we're brothers,” Dr Al Neyadi wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“Over the last six months, I gained a new family – with whom I shared expertise, traditions, and cultures, and experienced beautiful and challenging moments while creating unforgettable memories together.”
The astronaut has sought to enlighten and entertain during his milestone mission.
Dr Al Neyadi has compiled a collection of snapshots of Earth after boarding the ISS.
His photography includes images of an active volcano in the Philippines as well as wildfires raging across Southern Europe and a cyclone as it gathered strength in the Arabian Sea.
He has also shared a wide variety of images of the UAE, including his hometown of Umm Ghafa in Al Ain.
The traveller has taken part in a number of live calls with school pupils from the ISS, offering unique insights into life in space.
He also used his social media accounts to educate the public on his daily activities.
During one recent live call from space, Dr Al Neyadi told how he had gained a new appreciation for the natural wonders of Earth.
“Oxygen on Earth is free. Sunlight and everything are taken for granted, but on the ISS we have to continuously recycle these resources, so the new definition I have after coming here is that we have to preserve the environment,” he said.
Dr Al Neyadi was scheduled to leave the ISS on Friday.
The return trip was delayed to help Nasa and SpaceX adjust their flight schedules.
Crew-7, who will be the next space team to reside on the ISS, had their launch pushed back by a day, causing the schedule to be changed.
Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now
There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:
1. Rising US interest rates
The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.
Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”
At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.
2. Stronger dollar
High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.”
3. Global trade war
Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”
4. Eurozone uncertainty
Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”
The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Results
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
SPECS
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
