Photo Twitter: Space Commission.
Mon 13 February 2023:
Saudi Arabia announced Sunday that it will send its first female astronaut to the International Space Station during the second quarter of this year.
In a statement, the Saudi Space Commission said Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni will join the crew of the AX-2 space mission with a view to “empowering national capabilities in human spaceflight geared towards serving humanity and benefiting from the promising opportunities offered by the space industry.”
تعرّف على رائد الفضاء: علي الغامدي
السعودية #نحو_الفضاءMeet the astronaut: Ali AlGhamdi
Saudi Arabia Towards Space pic.twitter.com/5NZKAZQBpi— الهيئة السعودية للفضاء (@saudispace) February 12, 2023
تعرّف على رائدة الفضاء: مريم فردوس
السعودية #نحو_الفضاءMeet the astronaut: Mariam Fardous
Saudi Arabia Towards Space pic.twitter.com/lb3loEYXKX— الهيئة السعودية للفضاء (@saudispace) February 12, 2023
“The spaceflight is scheduled to launch from the USA to the International Space Station,” the statement said.
According to the space commission, the Saudi Human Spaceflight Program includes the training of two more astronauts — Mariam Fardous and Ali AlGamdi — on all mission requirements.
Gulf countries have recently showed a growing interest in space exploration.
In December 2022, the Emirati space explorer Rashid Rover set off towards the Moon on a Japanese spacecraft on a 5-month journey.
The kingdom had launched its astronaut program in September 2022, with initial reports pointing to a partnership with Elon Musk’s SpaceX space exploration company, though the AX-2 mission will be conducted by Axiom Space instead.
Other gulf states have similarly shown interest in space exploration recently. In December of last year, the UAE launched an explorer craft under the name Rashid Rover on a Japanese spacecraft for a five-month mission.
Meanwhile, Kuwaiti engineer Bader Al Moulah has been on his own well-documented journey to become his country’s first astronaut.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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