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Look: Key milestones from UAE astronaut's space mission

As Sultan AlNeyadi reaches halfway through his space mission – the longest by an Arab country – there have been several moments that have made a significant impact on the world

Published: Sun 4 Jun 2023, 6:27 PM

Updated: Sun 4 Jun 2023, 6:55 PM

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Supplied photos

Supplied photos

Three months down, three months to go. As Sultan AlNeyadi reaches halfway through his space mission – the longest by an Arab country – there have been several moments that have made a significant impact on the world.

Here are seven of the key moments that have occurred:

1. Spacewalk

AlNeyadi’s iconic spacewalk that lasted 7 hours and one minute definitely remains the highlight of his stay at the International Space Station (ISS). Along with Nasa Flight Engineer Stephen Bowen, AlNeyadi performed several tasks during the momentous occasion. With it, he became the first Arab to ever perform a spacewalk.

2. Tomatoes

AlNeyadi began his research mission by harvesting tomatoes that would be eaten by astronauts. The samples will also be analysed as part of a study about providing food in a sustainable way in space. The dwarf tomatoes were grown in the station's veggie facility and according to Nasa, these endeavours will “provide fresh food and enhance the overall living experience for crew members on future long-duration missions.”

3. Smart shirt

On Wednesday, AlNeyadi posted a photo wearing a black, sleeveless Bio-Monitor smart shirt with the logo of the Canadian Space Agency. In his tweet he explained why it was not any ordinary shirt. “The Bio-Monitor smart shirt & headband I have on tracks vital health stats such as heart rate, blood pressure & more, offering insights into our body's response to microgravity. This technology can be a game-changer for remote healthcare,” he wrote.

4. Doing Jiu Jitsu

AlNeyadi put the sport of Jiu Jitsu on the global map when he posted a video of himself doing the martial art in space. In the video, AlNeyadi outlined how the martial art has helped foster skills of discipline, focus and adaptability that he has transferred into both his preparation for the six-month mission, and now, during his life in micro gravity.

5. Celebrating his birthday

AlNeyadi had a “truly gravity-defying celebration” as part of his 42nd birthday in space. As he cruised 400km above Earth on the ISS, he tweeted that “colleagues who have become like family” made his birthday special, with a maple muffin top cake from the US crew, a cinnamon bun with yoghurt and dry fruits from the Russian crew, and “wishes in Arabic”.

6. Call from Space

Since arriving at the ISS on March 3, AlNeyadi has conducted four "A Call from Space" events, and three ham radio sessions with students in the UAE. During the last call, Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates conveyed to him the greetings of the UAE leadership and expressed how proud they were of his achievements.

7. Honey, Made in UAE

On World Bee Day, AlNeyadi took to Twitter and posted a one-minute video calling bees the world’s unsung heroes. In the video, the astronaut squeezed honey from a bottle in zero gravity. The honey featured in the clip came from a local farm in Al Khawaneej in Dubai and was shipped to the space laboratory orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 400km.

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