AlNeyadi's return, Indian solar mission: UAE students gear up for major space events this week

Two major space events are happening this weekend and UAE students can’t be more excited and inspired to see history unfolding.

The first is UAE astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi’s homecoming after completing doing experiments and maintenance work aboard the International Space Station for six months. His journey back home is set to begin on Sunday, September 3, (following a one-delay due to unfavourable weather conditions near splashdown sites off the coast of Florida).

The other big event is happening today, September 2. Coming on the heels of the successful Chandrayaan-3’s successful soft landing on the surface of the Moon, India is set to launch Aditya-L1 mission, its first solar mission that will study the Sun. Lift of is scheduled at 11.50am (local time) from Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh.

Welcoming Sultan, the first Arab astronaut who completed a historic spacewalk outside the International Space Station, and the pride of seeing India’s tri-colour making its way to Sun, gives UAE students not only a sense of pride but also a source of inspiration to know more about space and sciences.

Khaleej Times spoke to some and here’s what they have to say:

Space fanatic

Ali Hassan, six-year-old student at American International School, Abu Dhabi, said: “I’m a space fanatic and I hope to work for a space agency one day. I am counting down until the big return of Sultan so that my family and I can watch him live coming back to the Earth. In our school we were told about Sultan Al Neyadi and that he went to space. I am really interested in learning more about space. I will be watching his return on the computer. I plan to sit and watch it with my older siblings, Rovan and Lina.”

“I know Sultan spoke to a lot of school students like me. I wish I had the opportunity to meet him once and ask him a few questions. I wanted to know how he was able to sleep in space? I’ve heard there is no gravity there and everything floats.”

We’ve met Sultan

Siblings Mishal Faraz, 16 and Mir Faraz, 13 are also space junkies who’ve had the opportunity of meeting Sultan and Hazza AlMansoori, the first Emirati who went to space, earlier.

They said: “We are beyond excited about Sultan's return to Earth. We've followed his historic journey diligently through the past six months. We enjoyed and learned frm the amazing photographs and videos he shared. His calls from space have kept us hooked and fascinated. We are going to be glued to the TV to catch the first glimpse of returning home."

“We are also looking forward to the launch of the Aditya L-1 mission, the first Indian mission to explore the Sun. With the success of Chandrayaan-3 still fresh and new, India is already moving on to its next major celestial milestone, from the Moon to the Sun.

Extremely proud of Sultan

Egyptian Lilly Doss, who is a Year 4 student at Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills, said: “It's always fascinating to see astronauts travel to space and then return back home after their missions. I have been tracking all that Al Neyadi has been doing in space. I have been reading his tweets and watching his videos. They were always very exciting. I have especially been curious about how he brushes his teeth and found it amusing when he would hold onto the handrail so that he didn’t float away. A few times I saw him grabbing the microphone tightly as it floated away from him."

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