Astronauts have been living on the International Space Station for more than 20 years – eating, sleeping, bathing and using the toilet as their bodies float in microgravity.
And life on station, which orbits 400km above Earth, will be no different for UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi during his six-month stay.
The 41-year-old will launch on his first space mission on February 27, carrying traditional Emirati cuisines, photos of his family, the UAE flag and other personal items with him to make his environment a little less alien.
But there will be many new things the astronaut will have to get accustomed to – including drinking coffee made with processed and filtered urine and sweat.
Astronauts over the years have documented these daily routines to show the public how life is on the orbiting science laboratory.
The obvious question – is there a toilet?
The latest high tech toilet, worth $23 million, was installed on the ISS in 2020.
It is believed to be the most expensive toilet ever assembled, beating a $19 million order-made by Nasa in 2007.
The titanium toilet, called the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS), uses air flow to pull urine and faeces away from the body into separate containers.
A new feature is that the air flow starts automatically once the lid is lifted, which also helps with odour control.
It also has corrosion-resistant parts and an advanced design that requires less clean-up and maintenance time.
This means astronauts spend less time on plumbing to focus other tasks.
Astronauts use a funnel and hose for urine and the seat for bowel movements – both can be used at the same time.
The toilet has foot restraints and handholds that keeps the astronaut from floating away.
Toilet paper, wipes and gloves are disposed of in watertight bags.
Solid waste is kept in individual bags. Most of these are loaded on to a cargo ship and burnt on re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere, but some are brought back for evaluation.
The liquid is processed and filtered for consumption.
Water is heavy and storage space is limited on the ISS, so astronauts have to recycle almost everything, including urine and sweat.
It seems Dr Al Neyadi will have everything he needs in the bathroom, except for a shatafa.
Keeping clean
Water does not flow in a zero-gravity environment, so astronauts shower and brush their teeth differently.
This means installing a shower, faucet or sink on the ISS would be pointless because water would float away in the form of droplets.
Instead, Dr Al Neyadi will be using a wet towel containing body wash to clean himself.
To wash his hair, he will have to apply shampoo without water and wipe it off with a dry towel.
To brush his teeth, he can squeeze small amounts of water through a straw to rinse and then swallow.
More than just freeze-dried meals
Meals on the ISS have improved over the years, thanks to a new oven that was installed two years ago.
Astronauts have been baking cookies and using vegetables grown on the station as part of their diet.
But they mostly consume dehydrated food stored in packets. They add water to it or heat it in the oven, so it is ready to consume.
There are some ready-to-eat items, including fruit, bread and nuts.
Dr Al Neyadi has not yet revealed what his menu would include, but there will be some traditional Emirati cuisines.
During UAE astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri's trip in 2019, he took balaleet (an Emirati breakfast staple of sweetened vermicelli served with an omelette on top), salona (chicken stew) and madrooba (a savoury thick oatmeal).
Astronauts in space have 'food parties' in space sometimes, especially during holidays such as Thanksgiving, Eid or birthdays.
Fit as a fiddle
Exercising every day for about two hours is mandatory for astronauts to reduce the effects of zero gravity on their muscles and bones.
But they must use straps to keep themselves from floating away.
They do a lot of weight training using resistance exercise equipment, including vacuum cylinders that help mimic actual weights used on Earth.
On the treadmill, astronauts use rubber straps to hold their bodies down while they run.
They also use an ergometer – a bicycle without wheels.
Dr Al Neyadi is a fitness enthusiast, having trained in jiu-jitsu for many years, and he is taking his jiu-jitsu suit with him to space.
A good night's sleep
Dr Al Neyadi will have to restrain his body in a small sleeping compartment or sleeping bag to keep himself from floating away.
Astronauts in the past have also complained about a lot of noise on the ISS, including the sound of air-conditioning fans and machinery, so they use ear plugs.
Long distance relationships
Dr Al Neyadi is going on a long-duration mission, but he will be able to communicate with his family.
There is internet-enabled laptops on the ISS and astronauts can make voice calls and video calls to their loved ones.
However, they have to let mission control know first, so they can direct the satellite for the call.
This means family members cannot call Dr Al Neyadi spontaneously, as a satellite may be out of range.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Bharatanatyam
A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Top%2010%20most%20competitive%20economies
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
RESULTS
6.30pm: Handicap (rated 95-108) US$125,000 2000m (Dirt).
Winner: Don’t Give Up, Gerald Mosse (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap (95 ) $160,000 2810m (Turf).
Winner: Los Barbados, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
7.40pm: Handicap (80-89) $60,000 1600m (D).
Winner: Claim The Roses, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (Div-1) Conditions $100,000 1,400m (D)
Winner: Gold Town, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Cape Verdi Group 2 $200,000 1600m (T).
Winner: Promising Run, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
9.25pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Conditions $100,000 1,400m (D).
Winner: El Chapo, Luke Morris, Fawzi Nass.
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'
Rating: 3/5
Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Results
STAGE
1 . Filippo Ganna (Ineos) - 0:13:56
2. Stefan Bissegger (Education-Nippo) - 0:00:14
3. Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:21
4. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:24
5. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) - 0:00:30
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 4:00:05
2. Joao Almeida (QuickStep) - 0:00:05
3. Mattia Cattaneo (QuickStep) - 0:00:18
4. Chris Harper (Jumbo-Visma) - 0:00:33
5. Adam Yates (Ineos) - 0:00:39
The specs
Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)
Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
Sugary teas and iced coffees
The tax authority is yet to release a list of the taxed products, but it appears likely that sugary iced teas and cold coffees will be hit.
For instance, the non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Cold coffee brands are likely to be hit too. Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The specs: 2019 Subaru Forester
Price, base: Dh105,900 (Premium); Dh115,900 (Sport)
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 182hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 239Nm @ 4,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.1L / 100km (estimated)
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
Winner: Ferdous, Szczepan Mazur (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-3 Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 2,400m
Winner: Basmah, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6pm: UAE Arabian Derby Prestige (PA) Dh150,000 2,200m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6.30pm: Emirates Championship Group 1 (PA) Dh1,000,000 2,200m
Winner: Somoud, Patrick Cosgrave, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
7pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Group 3 (TB) Dh380,000 2,200m
Winner: GM Hopkins, Patrick Cosgrave, Jaber Ramadhan
7.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Conditions (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: AF Al Bairaq, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Honeymoonish
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
