UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi is preparing to return to Earth in the coming weeks after embarking on the Arab world's first extended space mission.
Dr Al Neyadi, who arrived on the International Space Station on March 3, will board a SpaceX Dragon craft together with three colleagues for his journey home, with a splashdown off the coast of Florida.
He is set to exit the orbiting laboratory towards the end of August or in early September, but a specific date cannot be pinned down yet.
The end of the Crew-6 mission can only take place once the astronauts have handed over pending experiments and duties to Crew-7, who are expected to reach the ISS on August 26.
On previous missions, outgoing crews have departed the ISS about a week after the arrival of their replacements.
“Crew-7 is scheduled to dock with the orbiting laboratory on Saturday, August 26 at about 2.45am ET (10.45am UAE time) on the space-facing port of the station’s Harmony module,” Nasa has said.
“If needed, Crew-7 has additional launch opportunities on August 26 and 27.”
The ride home
Dr Al Neyadi and his colleagues, Nasa astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, will board a SpaceX Dragon capsule for their journey home.
Nasa is expected to issue a timeline closer to the date, but the journey back could take between 16 and 24 hours.
Nasa and SpaceX will live-stream the undocking of the spacecraft from the ISS, as well as the splashdown.
During return of Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni to Earth in May, SpaceX also live-streamed the crew exiting the capsule.
However, that was a private mission organised by Axiom Space, and it is unclear whether there will be a broadcast of Crew-6 after splashdown.
Landmark mission for the UAE
Dr Al Neyadi has become the first Arab astronaut to carry out an extended space mission, as well as the first Arab to perform a spacewalk.
Salem Al Marri, director general of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, had said that the astronaut will receive a hero's welcome.
“For his return, we’re looking at the end of August or the beginning of September. We expect to give him a hero’s welcome,” Mr Al Marri told The National on Friday.
“When he’s back on Earth, he’ll first go into a kind of medical rehabilitation, such as physiotherapy, blood [tests] and a lot of science work that will need to be completed in those first days.
“Then he’ll come to the UAE and participate in a lot of activities before going back to the US to continue his debrief.”
Dr Al Neyadi had told the media during a live call that he was looking forward to coming back and seeing his family.
His mission is expected to help pave the way for more extended space missions by UAE astronauts, as well as an increased partnership with Nasa and other international space agencies and companies.
The UAE has four citizens in its astronaut corps, including the first Emirati to go into space, Hazza Al Mansouri, as well as its newest members, Nora Al Matrooshi and Mohammed Al Mulla.
Nasa and its partners have decided to keep the ISS operational until 2030, but it will eventually be retired.
The UAE is one of many countries that has set its sights on the Moon, as international space ambitions focus more on what is beyond low-Earth orbit.
Read more about the coronavirus
The five pillars of Islam
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
How it works
1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water
3) One application is said to last five years
4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The years Ramadan fell in May
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Brief scores:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
NEW ARRIVALS
Benjamin Mendy (Monaco) - £51.75m (Dh247.94m)
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) - £45.9m
Bernardo Silva (Monaco) - £45m
Ederson Moraes (Benfica) - £36m
Danilo (Real Madrid) - £27m
Douglas Luiz (Vasco de Gama) - £10.8m
