Ramadan at ISS: How do Muslims observe holy month in space?

UAE’s own astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi may have thought fondly of his family and his mother’s cooking during Iftar on Sunday, as he continues his sojourn on board the International Space Station (ISS).

If he chooses to fast, he would be following the Greenwich Mean Time (which is used as the official time zone on the space station) as he sees 16 sunsets daily at the orbiting laboratory.

For years now, astronauts have intended to follow religious pursuits while undertaking extraterrestrial missions.

In June 1985 at the age of 28, Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, who is a Saudi prince and former Royal Saudi Air Force pilot, was aboard Discovery when it launched into space on Nasa mission STS-51G.

Prince Sultan spent Eid Al Fitr on the space shuttle that year, and penned his thoughts extensively about fulfilling his religious duties.

In 2007, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, a Malaysian astronaut, stayed on the ISS. At that time, the Islamic National Fatwa Council of Malaysia reportedly issued special guidelines for him and other future Muslim astronauts.

The council also said that though his flight coincided with Ramadan, he could postpone fasting until he returned to Earth, or he could fast in accordance with the time zone of the place from which he had launched. He was even relieved of the obligation to kneel while praying, which is a challenging task in microgravity.

During a January press conference, AlNeyadi said if he had the opportunity, he would love to treat his colleagues to the famous Emirati hospitality.

He said, “Six-months in space is a great privilege and a big responsibility. Throughout the six months we will experience special occasions like Ramadan and Eid. So, I will be in the category of a traveller (where) fasting is not mandatory if you are unwell.”

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