UAE astronaut jokes that he 'didn't intend to come home this soon'

Sultan Al Neyadi says crew took the launch delay in their stride

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  UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, right, ready for launch with his crewmates, from left, Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev and Nasa's Warren Hoburg and Stephen Bowen on February 27

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  Nasa has called off today's launch a few minutes before lift-off, due to an issue with a chemical that ignites the rocket engine. Reuters

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  Dr Al Neyadi gives the thumbs up before the launch. Reuters

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  The engineering staff seal the cabin door before launch

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  Dr Al Neyadi enters the cabin

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  Dr Al Neyadi signs the wall before entering the cockpit

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  Dr Al Neyadi points at the UAE flag on his shoulder as he walks towards the shuttle

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  United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan al-Neyadi waves after leaving the Operations and Checkout building for a trip to Launch Pad 39-A, late Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The four-person crew is scheduled to liftoff early Monday on a trip to the International Space Station. (AP Photo / John Raoux)

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  Dr Al Neyadi, right, with his crewmates, from left, Mr Fedyaev, Mr Hoburg and Mr Bowen. EPA

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  Mr Bowen waves before the drive to the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. AFP

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  The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard on the launch pad. EPA

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  Nasa's vehicle assembly building. EPA

Sultan Al Neyadi joked that he promised his children he would be home from space soon — but not the same day he was due for lift-off.

The Emirati astronaut said the Crew-6 team took Monday's postponement — which saw the six-month mission to the International Space Station called off with less than three minutes to go — in their stride.

"I promised my kids to return soon and I didn’t mean this soon!" he wrote on Twitter.

"Anyway, our crew is safe and our spirits are high. A launch scrub is one of the things that we are trained to do, as crew safety is always a priority."

The Crew-6 astronauts sat in the Dragon capsule for several hours while the Falcon 9 rocket that carries it was emptied of fuel to allow for a safe exit.

The mission is provisionally scheduled for 9.34am UAE time on Thursday, pending a probe into the fault that affected Monday's take-off.