Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson on board the International Space Station. Whitson worked on the experiment of Genes in Space winner Alia Al Mansoori before returning to Earth earlier this month. Whitson, who has spent more time in space than any other woman, also sent a message of support to Alia.
Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson on board the International Space Station. Whitson worked on the experiment of Genes in Space winner Alia Al Mansoori before returning to Earth earlier this month. Whitson, who has spent more time in space than any other woman, also sent a message of support to Alia.
Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson on board the International Space Station. Whitson worked on the experiment of Genes in Space winner Alia Al Mansoori before returning to Earth earlier this month. Whitson, who has spent more time in space than any other woman, also sent a message of support to Alia.
Veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson on board the International Space Station. Whitson worked on the experiment of Genes in Space winner Alia Al Mansoori before returning to Earth earlier this month. Whits

'You can do it': Nasa chief astronaut's space message to Dubai teenager


James Langton
  • English
  • Arabic

It's Monty Python's Crashing Rocket Circus

To the theme tune of the famous zany British comedy TV show, SpaceX has shown exactly what can go wrong when you try to land a rocket.

The two minute video posted on YouTube is a compilation of crashes and explosion as the company, created by billionaire Elon Musk, refined the technique of reusable space flight.

SpaceX is able to land its rockets on land  once they have completed the first stage of their mission, and is able to resuse them multiple times - a first for space flight.

But as the video, How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster, demonstrates, it was a case if you fail, try and try again.

Genes in Space winner Alia Al Mansoori’s ambition to become the first UAE astronaut has won the backing of the woman who has spent more time in space than any other.

Nasa astronaut Peggy Whitson sent a message to the Dubai teenager from the International Space Station where she was working on Alia’s experiment to test what effect space flight has on genes.

Chief Astronaut Whitson holds a number of records, including first woman commander of the ISS, and the oldest female astronaut, at the age of 57.

She congratulated 15-year-old Alia for winning the first international Genes In Space content, which was sponsored by The National, adding: "I hope that you will continue your pursuit of the sciences in order to reach your goal of becoming an astronaut."

While on board the ISS, Ms Whitson, who has a background in biochemistry, ran Alia’s samples through the miniPCR thermal cycler, which copies DNA.

A video shows her repackaging the samples after removing them from the machine and returning the package to storage on the space station.

___________

Read more:

'Capture complete': SpaceX capsule carrying Emirati schoolgirl's experiment docks at International Space Station

Watch: Alia's dreams launched into space

Genes in Space winner in Florida to witness her idea take off

___________

She also tells Alia that she is proud of the teenager’s accomplishment, adding: “I am especially thrilled about your interest in biosciences since that interest is where my space journey also began.”

Alia’s experiment was flown to the ISS in August, with Al Mawakeb School and her family watching from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida as the Falcon rocket was launched.

The teenage has said that as well as becoming an astronaut she hopes to become the Emirati to set foot on Mars. Since winning the competition, her life has been transformed. Following the launch she flew to New York for an interview with Teen Vogue magazine, then met with Space Shuttle veteran Marc Garneau, now Canadian transport minister.

Earlier this month she was the guest of  Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces on a visit to the new Louvre Abu Dhabi.

The SpaceX Dragon supply capsule is due to return to Earth on September 17, with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at around 18.14  UAE time, although it has not yet been confirmed if Alia’s experiment will be on board.

Ms Whitson left the ISS and returned safely home on September 3, but footage of her with Alia’s experiment was delayed after Nasa’s Houston control centre was disrupted by the powerful Hurricane Harvey.

Paris Can Wait
Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars

Indoor cricket in a nutshell

Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side

8 There are eight players per team

There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.

5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls

Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs

B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run

Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs

Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full

What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

SPECS
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

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Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHakbah%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENaif%20AbuSaida%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E22%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-Series%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%20and%20Aditum%20Investment%20Management%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In numbers

1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:

  • 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
  • 150 tonnes to landfill
  • 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal

800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal

Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year

25 staff on site

 

The specs

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Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

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The biog

DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year

Fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit

As he spoke, Mr Aboul Gheit repeatedly referred to the need to tackle issues affecting the welfare of people across the region both in terms of preventing conflict and in pushing development.
Lebanon is scheduled to host the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in January that will see regional leaders gather to tackle the challenges facing the Middle East. The last such summit was held in 2013. Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told The National that the Beirut Summit “will be an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss solely economic and social issues, the conference will not focus on political concerns such as Palestine, Syria or Libya". He added that its slogan will be “the individual is at the heart of development”, adding that it will focus on all elements of human capital.

It's Monty Python's Crashing Rocket Circus

To the theme tune of the famous zany British comedy TV show, SpaceX has shown exactly what can go wrong when you try to land a rocket.

The two minute video posted on YouTube is a compilation of crashes and explosion as the company, created by billionaire Elon Musk, refined the technique of reusable space flight.

SpaceX is able to land its rockets on land  once they have completed the first stage of their mission, and is able to resuse them multiple times - a first for space flight.

But as the video, How Not to Land an Orbital Rocket Booster, demonstrates, it was a case if you fail, try and try again.