Sheikh Mansour receives UAE astronauts Sultan Al Neyadi and Hazza Al Mansouri

Vice President of the UAE celebrated the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre's Zayed Ambition 2 mission

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed receives a gift from staff of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, at Qasr Al Watan on Thursday. Photo: Presidential Court

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, received astronauts Sultan Al Neyadi and Hazza Al Mansouri.

He also met the team behind the Zayed Ambition 2 mission from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre.

The meeting took place at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, where Sheikh Mansour was engaged conversations with the team and praised their efforts in successfully completing the UAE space mission, the longest in Arab history.

Sheikh Mansour urged the team to continue pushing forward the nation's aspirations in space, praising their achievements in the field.

He was also briefed on the UAE's future projects in the space sector and the centre's plans for the next phase, including the Emirates Astronaut Programme, which aims to develop a national team of astronauts to take part in crewed exploration flights and programmes.

Sheikh Mansour also met Hamad Al Mansouri, chairman of the board of directors of the MBRSC, Yousef Al Shaibani, vice chairman of the board of directors, and Salem Al Marri, director general of the MBRSC.

Dr Al Neyadi returned to the UAE after his historic six-month visit to the International Space Station in September.

He became the first Arab to carry out an extended space mission, as well as the first to perform a spacewalk.

He took part in more than 200 experiments on the ISS assigned by Nasa and universities in the UAE.

The MBRSC carries out research, projects and studies on space to support the UAE's drive for advancing the sector, and building national knowledge and scientific capabilities.