Tomatoes harvested in space by Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi to boost future missions are on a return trip to Earth this weekend.
The dwarf vegetables were grown in December on board the International Space Station's miniature green house.
Dr Al Neyadi has played a key role in the project since his arrival on the ISS in March.
It is an important part of achieving Nasa's ambitions to provide fresh food to sustain astronauts, particularly on long-duration journeys.
The stellar crops will be among various science experiments to be carried back home by the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft, currently docked at the station, on Saturday, at 7.05pm UAE time.
Dr Al Neyadi, 41, will be on duty that day to help complete the loading of critical research samples and used station hardware onto the Dragon spacecraft.
“Al Neyadi will then activate Dragon monitoring tools and software and close the vehicle’s hatch before the US cargo craft undocks on Saturday,” Nasa said.
“Dragon will parachute to a splashdown off the coast of Florida a few hours later for retrieval by SpaceX and Nasa personnel.
“The completed research and discarded lab gear will then be sent to scientists and engineers around the world for analysis.”
Dr Al Neyadi has been conducting crucial scientific work since arriving to the orbiting laboratory on March 3 for a six-month mission.
Aiding research in space and on Earth
Nasa said the tomato samples grown in space may not only help future missions but could also improve access to fresh food on Earth.
“They froze tomatoes, water samples and swabs of the growth hardware to examine the effects of light quality and fertiliser on fruit production, microbial safety and nutritional value,” Nasa said of the experiments.
“The ability to grow plants in space for fresh food and an improved crew living experience is important for future long-duration missions.”
“The hardware could be adapted for use on Earth to provide fresh produce for those without access to gardens and as horticultural therapy for older people and people with disabilities.”
Astronauts have been growing fruits and vegetables in space for many years. This is vital to meeting the goal of establishing a base on the Moon or other planets, and also helps to reduce their dependence on resupply missions sent from Earth.
In August 2015, red romaine lettuce became the first vegetable to be grown in space, proving to be a tastier alternative to the packaged space food astronauts have to eat.
Fire safety research
Another experiment involving fire safety in space that Dr Al Neyadi participated in is also being sent to scientists on ground for analysis.
The research included how fuel temperature affects material flammability.
Dr Al Neyadi tested some materials and the gel samples are being returned to Earth.
“The investigation could improve safety of crew members on future missions by increasing understanding of early fire growth behaviour, informing selection of fire-resistant spacecraft cabin materials, validating flammability models and helping to determine optimal fire suppression techniques,” Nasa said.
Spacewalk preparations
Once the samples have left the station, the next big task on the ISS is a spacewalk by two Russian cosmonauts.
Commander Sergey Prokopyev and flight engineer Dmitri Petelin will exit the station’s Poisk airlock in their Russian Orlan spacesuits.
They will then turn to the Earth-facing side of the station to start the work of moving a radiator and an experiment module.
The next spacewalk, on April 28, will include Dr Al Neyadi and Nasa astronaut Stephen Bowen, who will venture outside for six-and-a-half hours to retrieve communication hardware.
Sultan Al Neyadi in space — in pictures
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
Wonka
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
The%20specs
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How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.