UAE and Saudi astronauts could be on board International Space Station together in 2023


Sarwat Nasir
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Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi could be joined by two Saudi colleagues during his stay on the International Space Station next year.

Dr Al Neyadi, 41, a former IT professional from Al Ain, was chosen for the milestone six-month mission in July.

He will blast off next spring on a Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket bound for the floating science laboratory, as part of the Nasa/SpaceX Crew-6 mission. This will be the Arab world’s first long-duration space mission.

Two Saudis, yet to be identified, are expected to take off in the second quarter of 2023 for a two-week stay on the station, as part of the Ax-2 private crew mission, Reuters reported.

Axiom Space, a US-based space company, has helped both countries to secure these trips.

Historic achievement beckons

If things go as planned, the two Saudi astronauts would be the first from the kingdom to reach the ISS ― 37 years after the nation launched the first Arab into space on Nasa's Discovery space shuttle.

It will also mark the first time astronauts from two different Arab countries will be in space together, including the first Arab female astronaut from Saudi Arabia.

Michael Suffredini, president of Axiom Space, said that Saudi Arabia’s mission will expand human space flight opportunities to a larger share of the international community.

"Space belongs to all of humanity, which is one of the reasons Axiom Space is pleased to welcome our new partnership with the Saudi Space Commission to train and fly Saudi astronauts, including the first female Saudi astronaut,” he said earlier this month when the announcement was made.

Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud reads the Quran during his 1985 mission as a payload specialist on board the American STS-51-G space shuttle.
Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud reads the Quran during his 1985 mission as a payload specialist on board the American STS-51-G space shuttle.

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan bin Salman became the first Arab astronaut in 1985, on board the American STS-51-G space shuttle, but a long-term space programme was not undertaken by the kingdom after that mission.

It was a milestone mission for the Arab and Islamic world, with photos showing Prince Sultan reading the Quran and praying on board the space shuttle.

No other Arab astronaut reached space until 2019, when the UAE's Maj Hazza Al Mansouri travelled to the ISS.

Maj Al Mansouri, a former fighter jet pilot, lived on the station for a week and carried out 16 science experiments.

He wore the kandura, a traditional Emirati dress, and gave a live tour of the station in Arabic for the first time.

Now Dr Al Neyadi is training for his trip to the ISS.

The UAE’s astronaut corps has four members so far, with the other two being Mohammed Al Mulla and Nora Al Matrooshi, a female astronaut.

Saudi Arabia announced the launch of its astronaut programme on its National Day on September 22, 2022.

Axiom Space has already completed the AX-1 mission, the first all-private crew to the space station.

The privately funded mission launched on April 8 and landed back on Earth on April 25.

US commercial companies are helping create access to space for countries that do not have launch capabilities.

Turkey also secured a mission for one of its citizens through Axiom, with a launch expected late next year to coincide with the nation's centenary.

This would be Turkey's first astronaut in space.

The country launched its ambitious 10-year space plan in 2021, which includes Moon exploration.

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The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

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Updated: October 01, 2022, 7:07 AM`