The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has officially declared that astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi is poised to make his return from the International Space Station (ISS) on September 3rd. This marks the conclusion of his remarkable Arab space mission, which stands as the longest in the region’s history, spanning an impressive six-month period.
Accompanied by fellow astronauts Stephen Bowen from NASA, Warren Hoburg from NASA, and Andrey Fedyaev from Roscosmos, Al Neyadi will disembark from the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft Endeavour on September 2nd. The team, attired in their pressure suits, is all set for a splashdown off the coast of Tampa, Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico, an event scheduled for September 3rd.
Prior to initiating the deorbit procedure, rigorous evaluations will be conducted, with a particular focus on projected weather conditions and the preparedness of recovery operations at the designated splashdown zone.
The historic Arab space mission, which took off on March 2nd utilizing the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft, has been led by Al Neyadi alongside fellow crew members NASA astronauts Bowen and Hoburg, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Fedyaev. Throughout this six-month endeavor, Al Neyadi was actively engaged in over 200 experiments in collaboration with international space agencies, esteemed UAE and global universities. These experiments spanned a wide array of fields, including plant genetics, human life sciences, exploration technology, fluid dynamics, material science, protein crystallization growth, and advanced exploration technologies. The outcomes of these experiments have profoundly contributed to the scientific community, researchers, and students both within the UAE and around the world, making them an integral part of the mission and supporting it in various capacities.
Al Neyadi’s mission was also marked by several significant achievements for a UAE astronaut, including being the first Arab astronaut to conduct a spacewalk, which he accomplished alongside his fellow crewmate, NASA astronaut Bowen.
Additionally, Al Neyadi was deeply involved in a series of 19 educational and community outreach events titled “A Call from Space.” These events facilitated interactions between the Emirati astronaut and over 10,000 participants from diverse walks of life through live video calls and ham radio sessions.
