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Watch: UAE astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi sends Eid Al Fitr greetings from space
He dons traditional white kandura and celebrates occasion with his 'trusty companion Suhail'
Donning a white kandura and accompanied by his trusty companion ‘astro’ Suhail, UAE astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi sent warm greetings to his family, friends, and everyone back on Earth on the first day of Eid Al Fitr.
Sharing on Twitter a one-minute video, accompanied by celebratory Arabic music, AlNeyadi said on Friday: “Usually, Eid is with my family and children. But today, I’ll be celebrating Eid with my trusty companion Suhail.
“On this blessed occasion, I send my warmest greetings to my family, friends, and everyone back on Earth. May this special occasion bring you peace, happiness, and prosperity. Eid Mubarak!,”
In the video, AlNeyadi is seen floating alongside Suhail, the mascot of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), inside the Cupola observatory module of International Space Station (ISS). Suhail, which is the Arabic name for the star Canopus, is also seen wearing a grey kandura instead of the usual SpaceX spacesuit.
Aside from the Eid greetings, Al Neyadi also gave another quick tour of the dome-shaped bay window that offers an amazing view of Earth from an altitude of 400kms.
AlNeyadi is on his second month of half-year mission aboard theorbiting space station, where he has spent the whole month of Ramadan doing scientific experiments.
The pioneering Emirati astronaut, however, is not only sharing updates of his works but has also been sharing breathtaking and spectacular images of Earth taken from space.
Sparking cities
Early this week, AlNeyadi posted a beautiful video taken from the orbiting laboratory showing the three cities in Saudi Arabia – Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah – sparkling at night.
AlNeyadi zoomed on Madinah and said: "This is the city to which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) immigrated with his beloved people.
Then he described Jeddah as the Bride of the Red Sea before showing the holy city of Makkah, where the message of Islam took root with the Prophet (PBUH). He also pointed out the light from the Masjid Al Haram in the centre of the city,
Readying for spacewalk
Next week, on April 28, AlNeyadi is set to make another history as the first Arab astronaut to do spacewalk. The UAE will also become only the 10th country to undertake extravehicular activity outside the ISS. He and Nasa Flight Engineer Stephen Bowen will work together for more than six hours as part of ISS’s 262nd spacewalk in support of assembly, maintenance, and upgrades on the orbiting space station.
angel@khaleejtimes.com
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