UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi and crewmates complete Florida launch rehearsal


Sarwat Nasir
  • English
  • Arabic

UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi and his three crewmates have completed a rehearsal of their launch into space — which is scheduled for Monday at 10.45am GST.

The run-through, which took place on Friday, involved donning their SpaceX pressure suits, riding in Teslas to the launch pad and then boarding an unfuelled Falcon 9 rocket.

SpaceX announced that it has also completed a static fire test — a ground test where the rocket's engines are fired — to make sure it was flight ready.

“Crew-6, SpaceX and Nasa completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities,” SpaceX tweeted.

“Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete ahead of the Crew-6 mission to the space station.”

These were two crucial steps before the Falcon 9 rocket, with the crew Dragon capsule on top, can launch from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

Weather is currently 95 per cent favourable for a launch, according to the US Space Force.

There are back-up dates of February 28 and from March 2 to 4, if things do not go as planned.

Dr Al Neyadi and his colleagues arrived in Florida on Tuesday, and have been in quarantine since then.

They left their isolation quarters only for the launch rehearsal, with only those approved by Nasa allowed near them.

Dr Al Neyadi is set to spend six months on the International Space Station, carrying out 19 science experiments for various UAE universities and ones assigned to him and his crew by Nasa.

He will also do maintenance work on the ISS.

Dr Al Neyadi will become the fourth Arab in space and the second Emirati in space and on the space station.

Fellow Emirati astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri travelled to the ISS on a Russian Soyuz rocket in 2019 for an eight-day mission.

UAE's Sultan Al Neyadi arrives at Florida launch site before historic space mission - in pictures

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Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?

The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.

Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.

New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.

“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.

The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.

The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.

Bloomberg

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Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.

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Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.

Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.

What are the guidelines?

Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.

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Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.

Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.

Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.

Source: American Paediatric Association
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

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Three stars

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Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

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Company name: Suraasa

Started: 2018

Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker

Based: India, UAE and the UK

Industry: EdTech

Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding

Key products and UAE prices

iPhone XS
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A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
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When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi

  

 

 

 

Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.

 
TRAINING FOR TOKYO

A typical week's training for Sebastian, who is competing at the ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon on March 8-9:

  • Four swim sessions (14km)
  • Three bike sessions (200km)
  • Four run sessions (45km)
  • Two strength and conditioning session (two hours)
  • One session therapy session at DISC Dubai
  • Two-three hours of stretching and self-maintenance of the body

ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon

For more information go to www.abudhabi.triathlon.org.

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Updated: February 24, 2023, 12:40 PM`