How Sultan Al Neyadi is training for Arab world's first long-duration space mission

Emirati astronaut has trained at sites across the US in preparation for trip to ISS

UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi at a Nasa press conference. Photo: Nasa

Dr Al Neyadi and his SpaceX/Nasa Crew-6 colleagues speak at a press conference in Houston. Photo: Nasa

Dr Al Neyadi (R) in a Dragon capsule during a training session. Photo: Nasa / SpaceX

(L-R) Mission specialist Andrey Fedyaev, pilot William Hoburg, commander Stephen Bowen and Dr Al Neyadi. Photo: Nasa / SpaceX

Dr Al Neyadi (R) with colleagues who are part of the SpaceX Crew-6 mission. Photo: Nasa / SpaceX

Dr Al Neyadi training inside a Dragon mock-up crew vehicle at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Photo: Nasa / SpaceX

Dr Al Neyadi training. Photo: Nasa / SpaceX

Dr Al Neyadi training in a centrifuge, a robotic machine that simulates gravitational forces. Photo: Sultan Al Neyadi Twitter

The SpaceX Crew-6 team. Photo: Nasa / SpaceX

At the launch site in Florida. Photo: Nasa / SpaceX

Pointers for success from Dr Al Neyadi, with Mr Fedyaev. Photo: Nasa / SpaceX

UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi will travel to space in about six months onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

After years of training, the former IT professional was assigned a mission to the International Space Station with four crew members on the SpaceX/Nasa Crew-6 mission.

He will spend six months in the orbiting laboratory during which he will carry out experiments and possibly perform the first spacewalk by an Arab astronaut.

The mission will be launched more than three years after Hazza Al Mansouri spent eight days on the ISS.

Dr Al Neyadi, who was back-up astronaut, and Maj Al Mansouri trained for a year in Russia for the initial ISS mission.

Training has been more extensive this time. Here The National takes a look at some of the training Dr Al Neyadi has done for the latest mission.

Graduating from Nasa’s basic training programme

Dr Al Neyadi and Maj Al Mansouri can both take part in Nasa-led missions because this year they completed a two-year basic astronaut training programme.

“The astronaut corps for United Arab Emirates has been in training with Nasa at the Johnson Space Centre since 2019 under a separate bilateral agreement,” Nasa told The National this year.

“Their training to date has been equivalent to Nasa astronaut candidates-level training, which includes spacewalk training, onboard systems and T-38 training.”

Beginning mission-specific training

Once his place on the Crew-6 flight was secured, Dr Al Neyadi began mission-specific training at the Johnson Space Centre in Texas, the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida and the SpaceX headquarters in California.

Mission training can last several months.

“The UAE crew will continue on with training on the Crew Dragon spacecraft and start training on the international partner segments," Nasa said.

"By the Crew-6 launch date, Nasa said it expects to have the assigned UAE crew member trained as a fully qualified Expedition crew member."

Dr Al Neyadi's training at the Johnson Space Centre has included spacewalks, robotics and science.

He will learn more about his tasks on the ISS, including experiments and everyday maintenance work.

SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule training

Extensive training on how to operate the Crew Dragon spacecraft has taken place at SpaceX’s headquarters.

Several images released by SpaceX and Nasa showed Dr Al Neyadi and his crewmates training inside a mock-up spacecraft.

The Crew Dragon capsule will be launched on top of the Falcon 9 rocket.

Astronauts spend up to 24 hours in the capsule before it docks with the ISS.

The crew will also receive water survival training at the Johnson Space Centre because the capsule will land in water when it returns to Earth.

The astronauts will also do exercises in crew resource management and learn what to do during an emergency.

Experiencing extreme gravitational forces

Dr Al Neyadi and his colleagues have spent a lot of time riding a centrifuge, which simulates the gravitational forces astronauts experience during space flight.

"This is not a futuristic spacecraft, in fact, this is a centrifuge arm," Dr Al Neyadi said on Twitter last week. His post included a picture of the machine.

"Here we simulate launch and landing profiles in the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. The gravitational forces that we encounter can reach up to five Gs."

But he is familiar with such machines owing to his training before Maj Al Mansouri's mission to the ISS.

Training at the launch site

The crew also spent time at Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Centre. That is where their rocket will lift-off in spring next year.

Some of their training there involved a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, which is used by the crew to escape the pad during emergencies.