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Your ultimate guide to UAE's first space mission

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Hazzaa AlMansoori, UAE, space mission, Nasa, ISS, Space

Here is everything you need to know about the mission, including details about the astronaut's return to earth.

Published: Wed 25 Sep 2019, 7:51 AM

Updated: Wed 25 Sep 2019, 6:16 PM

  • By
  • Team KT

At exactly 5.57pm local time today, the FG rocket will take off from Baikonur, powering the Soyuz spacecraft that carries a 3-member crew, including the first Emirati in space, Hazzaa AlMansoori
Mere hours remain before an Emirati becomes the first Arab to blast off to the International Space Station. Here is everything you need to know about the mission, including details about the astronaut's return to earth.

Hazzaa's schedule

> Mission specs
>> Launch: 5.57pm (UAE time) from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
>> Distance to be covered: 400km
>> Arrival: 12am (approximate) at International Space Station
>> Hatch opening: 2am

> Experiments

Hazzaa AlMansoori will conduct 16 scientific experiments including six that will take place on the International Space Station to study the interaction of human body biomarkers in space compared to those on earth.
> Scope

* Conduct earth observation and imaging

* Study the effect of microgravity compared with earth's gravity

* The effects of space travel on the human body will also be studied before and after AlMansoori's journey to the International Space Station - the first on a Middle Eastern astronaut


September 26
>> Science in space experiments
>> Session on HAM radio

September 27
>> Time perception in microgravity
>> Fluid dynamics in space experiments
>> Live session at 2.30pm (UAE time)
September 28
>> Science in space  experiments
>> Cardiovector
>> Time perception in microgravity

September 29

>> Tour of the International Space Station (in Arabic)
>> Live session: 2.40pm to 2.57pm
September 30
>> Live session: 4.14pm to 4.34pm
>>  Osteology
>> Fluid  dynamics in space experiments
>> Science in space experiments
October 1
>> Live  session: 4.14pm to 4.34pm
>>Fluid dynamics in space experiments
>>Science in space experiments
October 2
>> Science in space  experiments
>> Undock preparations

October 3

>> Undock: 11.34am
>> Landing back on earth:  12.58pm (UAE time)

Hazzaa's personal payload

Each astronaut is allowed to take 0.68kg of items with him on the Soyuz spacecraft.

Hazzaa will take:

>> The Holy Quran

>> A 100% silk ?UAE flag

>>  30 Ghaf tree seeds

>> Emirati food

>> Photos of his family

>> A photo of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan meeting three American astronauts in 1976
- The latest book of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, 'Qissati' 

Meet the crew

Hazzaa AlMansoori

DOB: December 13, 1983
Age: 35
Marital Status: Married with four children
Hometown: Born in Al Wathba, and moved with his family to Al Dhafra (previously known as Liwa) in Western Abu Dhabi.
Education: Khalifa bin Zayed Air College
Professional Qualifications: Military background. Former F-16B60 instructor pilot and a demo pilot, SOLO Demonstration pilot in F-16B60 and UAE's youngest F-16 pilot. Inspiration to become astronaut: His passion for astronomy led him to join the armed forces and later became one of the most outstanding military pilots.

Jessica Meir

DOB:  July 7, 1977
Age: 42
Marital Status: Married
Hometown: Maine, USA
Education: Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Brown University, Master of Science degree in Space Studies from International Space University and Doctorate in Marine Biology (diving physiology) from Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Professional Qualification: Worked on human psychology research at Lockheed Martin's Human Research Facility at NASA Johnson Space Center. She was also the mission control communicator to spacewalking astronauts for two space station spacewalks.

Oleg Skripockha

DOB: December 24, 1969
Age: 49
Hometown: Nevinnomyssk, Stavropol Krai, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Education: Bachelors of Mechanical Engineering in Rocket Construction from Bauman Moscow State Technical University.
Professional Qualifications: Spent 159 days in space while on Expedition 25/26 in 2010.

Sultan Al Neyadi

DOB: May 23, 1981
Marital Status: Married with four children
Hometown: Born in Umm Ghafa, 30 kilometers southeast of Al Ain, in Abu Dhabi, where he received primary and secondary education.
Educational and professional background: Bachelor's Degree of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering from the University of Brighton in the UK, then served for the UAE Armed forces as a network security engineer. Later, got his Master's degree in IT from Griffith University in Australia, in 2008. He also earned a PHD in Information Technology (Data Leakage Prevention) and published six research papers in international websites.
Inspiration to become astronaut: Sultan loves all things space science and technology and wants to create history for the UAE

Thomas Mashburn

DOB:  August 29, 1960
Hometown: North Carolina, USA
Marital Status: Married
Education: Bachelor of Science in Physics from Davidson College, Masters in Engineering Physics from University of Virginia, Masters in Medical Science from University of Texas and Doctorate of Medicine degree from Wake Forest University.
Professional Qualification: Served as flight surgeon at Johnson Space Centre, served as a flight surgeon for NASA officials who were deployed to the Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center in Star City. Also, served as a Flight Engineer on Expedition 34/35 in 2012 and spent 161 days in space.

Sergey Ryzhikov

DOB: August 19, 1974
Hometown: Bululma, Russia SFSR, Soviet Union
Marital Status: Married
Professional Qualifications: Previously a Lieutenant Colonel in the Russian Air Force. Spent 173 days in space for Expedition 50.





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