That's a wrap
Thank you for joining us for our journey with UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi to the International Space Station over the past couple of days. Live coverage will be closing soon.
There will be more to come from The National over the next six months as Dr Al Neyadi will take part in more than 200 science experiments during his six-month stay aboard the International Space Station.
Here's a wrap of his journey today.
Do follow The National's space reporter Sarwat Nasir on Twitter and it's worth bookmarking our dedicated page UAE in Space for more coverage.
'The UAE is taking great steps in space': Sultan Al Neyadi begins mission on the space station
UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi has begun his six-month mission on the International Space Station. He entered the orbiting science laboratory at 12.50pm GST, more than 24 hours after launching to space on a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
He spoke during the welcoming ceremony held on the station shortly after the crew's arrival.
"I would like to thank my mom and dad and the leadership of the UAE", he said.
"And the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre who trusted me for this mission.
"I can't be happier than this. Seeing old friends in space and gathering as a big family in space.
"This is the essence of space exploration. The UAE is taking great steps in pushing the boundaries in exploration and co-operating with space fairing nations.
"Go Dragon, go SpaceX."
He will spend the next six months carrying out more than 200 science experiments on board the station.
UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi has boarded the International Space Station
First views of UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi in space
The cameras on the Crew-6 Dragon capsule have been turned on, giving the first views of UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi in space.
The spacecraft docked with the International Space Station at 10.40am GST and the astronauts are currently waiting for the hatch to open.
They will then enter the Harmony module of the ISS and will live on the space station for the next six months.
Dr Al Neyadi has become the second Arab to reach the station.
ISS welcoming party
Final preparations are being made to welcome astronauts on the Crew-6 mission, including the UAE's Sultan Al Neyadi, on board the International Space Station.
A hatch on the ISS is due to open around 12.10pm, UAE time, to allow the new arrivals to make their way into the station.
The four astronauts will spend about six months on board the the orbiting space laboratory.
Enter the Dragon
Sultan Al Neyadi and his crewmates have docked with the International Space Station, which they will call home for the next six months.
The docking procedure was slightly delayed by a technical hitch following a day-long journey through space.
The Crew-6 team will now prepare to join Crew-5 members on board the ISS to complete handover duties for the mission ahead.
Crew 6 Dragon capsule docks with the International Space Station
The Dragon capsule, which is carrying UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi and his three crewmates, has docked with the International Space Station.
The docking took place at 10.40am GST while the ISS was flying over Somalia.
The soft capture — which connects the two vehicles, but not rigidly — has been completed, but the spacecraft still has to achieve a hard capture before the docking sequence can be completed.
Docking attempt with the ISS resumed
SpaceX and Nasa have resumed the Crew-6 Dragon capsule's docking attempt with the International Space Station, after resolving a technical issue with one of the spacecraft's docking hooks.
One of the 12 hooks had failed to open and the capsule was stationed 20m from the station, as engineers investigated the issue.
They rebooted the software, which helped to release the hook.
SpaceX and Nasa have given "go" for another approach to the ISS.
Docking paused due to technical issue
Nasa and SpaceX have paused the attempt by the Crew-6 Dragon capsule to dock with the International Space Station, after the hooks on the spacecraft failed to deploy.
Engineers are investigating and will resume the docking process once the issue has been resolved.
The capsule is about 20m from the station.
'Ready for docking'
The Dragon capsule's docking mechanism and forward hatch have been deployed.
Nasa and SpaceX have both given their "go" for docking.
Crew-6 ahead of schedule as capsule prepares to dock with space station
The Crew-6 astronauts are ahead of schedule as their Dragon capsule prepares to dock with the International Space Station.
It was initially meant to dock at 10.17am GST but that will now happen at 9.43am.
The capsule is flying autonomously and will dock with the station's Harmony module by itself.
Crew-6 Dragon capsule flies over the UAE
The Crew-6 astronauts flew directly over the UAE a few moments ago.
UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi is on board the Dragon capsule with three crewmates.
Landmarks in the Emirates are some of the most photographed locations by astronauts on the International Space Station, especially The Palm Jumeirah island in Dubai.
Striking view of Dragon capsule as it approaches the space station
It was flying directly below the orbiting science laboratory for a while.
The capsule will dock with the station at about 9.43am GST.
Crew-6 astronauts approaching International Space Station for docking
Crew-6 astronauts, including the UAE's Sultan Al Neyadi, are preparing to approach the International Space Station for docking.
They will dock the Dragon capsule on the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at 9.43am GST.
The hatch to the module is expected to be opened at 11.55am, allowing the astronauts to move into the station and begin their six-month mission.
A welcome ceremony will be held at 12.40pm.
The arrival on the orbiting science laboratory comes after an almost 24-hour trip in space.
They launched from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Thursday on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
During their journey in space, they were allowed to remove their visors and pressure suits and move around the capsule.
Now, they have donned their spacesuits again to prepare for the docking.
Sultan Al Neyadi due to dock at space station
Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi will clamber through the hatch of the International Space Station on Friday after a rocket launch that enthralled the Arab world.
The SpaceX Dragon capsule is due to dock at 10.17am UAE time after a 24-hour journey, delivering Dr Al Neyadi and his three crewmates to their new home for the next six months.
After checks are completed, they will be welcomed by the existing crew of seven shortly before noon — and begin their tour of duty 400km above Earth.
Hazza Al Mansouri impressed by 'first rocket launch'
Say hello to Suhail, the UAE mission's mascot travelling to the ISS
"Allow me to introduce you to the fifth crew member. His name is Suhail and it is the Arabic name for the star Canopus," Dr Al Neyadi said after lift-off.
"In the Middle East, we anticipate the appearance of Canopus because it indicates the end of summer and the beginning of the cool times."
The mascot served as an additional crewmate during Emirati astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri's eight-day stay on the ISS three and a half years ago.
We have so much to learn, says UAE space chief after Emirati reaches orbit
“There is much we are hoping to learn from this mission,” Mr Al Marri said.
“There will be a lot of human life sciences, with more than 20 different experiments with UAE universities and international universities, so this is something really big for us.
“We will have an in-depth education programme where we will try to reach every school in the UAE through simple experiments and YouTube videos.
“There will be live chats with astronauts [too], so we are excited for this six-month mission.”
UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi’s first words from space
SpaceX Dragon: A spacecraft like no other
With touch screen devices and a working toilet, SpaceX's Dragon capsule bears little resemblance to the cramped and ageing spacecraft of yesterday.
Only four of the seven seats on Thursday's launch were occupied, giving the Crew-6 astronauts plenty of space.
Once in zero-gravity, astronauts can move around the cabin during the 24-hour trip to ISS.
Unlike on Russia's cramped Soyuz pod, the crew can remove their space suits and wear their jumpsuits, allowing them to use the bathroom.
Since achieving its first successful crew flight in 2020, the Dragon has carried 30 people into orbit.
Robert Behnken, an astronaut who was part of test flight in 2020, gave a live tour on the way to the space station.
“We each have a window that we can see what is going on each side, so that’s really cool,” he said.
For more on the Dragon click here.