Arab astronaut mission to launch on February 27

UAE has announced a new launch date and time for the six-month space mission which will feature UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi.

Sultan AlNeyadi is the prime astronaut of the mission while Hazzaa AlMansoori is a backup crew.

“The new launch date and time of the first Arab long-duration astronaut mission is scheduled for 27 February at 10:45 AM (UAE time),” the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) said via Twitter.

The mission will make the UAE the 11th country to send astronauts on a long-duration mission to the ISS as well as train and prepare them for spacewalks.

Dubbed as Crew-6, the mission will launch aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with Emirati astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi being designated as the Mission Specialist of the Prime Crew along with NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen (Spacecraft Commander) and Warren Hoburg (Pilot) and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev (Mission Specialist).

Crew-6 is part of Expedition 69, with Roscosmos Cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Oleg Kononenko, and NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara joining the team at later dates. Expedition 69 will potentially continue to install the final pieces of iROSA, the roll-out solar arrays on the International Space Station, in addition to conducting scientific experiments and research.

The backup for Crew-6 comprises Emirati Astronaut Hazzaa AlMansoori (Mission Specialist), NASA’s Jasmin Moghbeli (Spacecraft Commander), ESA’s Andreas Mogensen (Pilot) and Roscosmos’ Konstantin Borisov (Mission Specialist).

Once onboard the ISS, Sultan will have a heavy schedule of experiments and dedicated time for live interactions with various entities, universities and schools. There will be 13 live calls and 10 ham radio interactions, and sessions for the community outreach programme with Emirates Literature Foundation, which will be allocated throughout the six months.

During his 4,000 hours onboard ISS, Sultan AlNeyadi will conduct over 19 advanced research experiments and studies in collaboration with NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) on a range of topics that include: the cardiovascular system, back pain, technical demonstration, epigenetics, immune system, fluid science, plant biology, material science, sleep analysis and radiation.

The mission will further comprise education outreach and engagement efforts to inspire the next generation of scientists and explorers. As part of the UAE Astronaut Programme Grants Research Programme, MBRSC has selected two research projects from the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), that will also be part of the Crew-6 mission.

The first project will focus on assessing how the spaceflight environment of microgravity affects cardio-postural interactions, while the second project will investigate dental/oral cells in a microgravity-simulated environment on the ground. Both projects will engage students and researchers to ensure the capability development and qualification of new generations of scientists. In addition to MBRU, data sharing from the mission will include prominent local universities such as NYU Abu Dhabi and others.

AlNeyadi and AlMansoori will undergo a two-week quarantine before launch, in preparation for the mission. The astronauts of Crew-6 mission will then travel to Kennedy Space Center six days before the launch. A day before the launch, the crew will try on their tailored spacesuits and conduct a dry rehearsal of going up to the launch site, entering the capsule and conducting all checks to confirm everything is in order.