Tomatoes harvested in space by Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi to boost future missions are on a return trip to Earth this weekend.
The dwarf vegetables were grown in December on board the International Space Station's miniature green house.
Dr Al Neyadi has played a key role in the project since his arrival on the ISS in March.
It is an important part of achieving Nasa's ambitions to provide fresh food to sustain astronauts, particularly on long-duration journeys.
The stellar crops will be among various science experiments to be carried back home by the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft, currently docked at the station, on Saturday, at 7.05pm UAE time.
Dr Al Neyadi, 41, will be on duty that day to help complete the loading of critical research samples and used station hardware onto the Dragon spacecraft.
“Al Neyadi will then activate Dragon monitoring tools and software and close the vehicle’s hatch before the US cargo craft undocks on Saturday,” Nasa said.
“Dragon will parachute to a splashdown off the coast of Florida a few hours later for retrieval by SpaceX and Nasa personnel.
“The completed research and discarded lab gear will then be sent to scientists and engineers around the world for analysis.”
Dr Al Neyadi has been conducting crucial scientific work since arriving to the orbiting laboratory on March 3 for a six-month mission.
Aiding research in space and on Earth
Nasa said the tomato samples grown in space may not only help future missions but could also improve access to fresh food on Earth.
“They froze tomatoes, water samples and swabs of the growth hardware to examine the effects of light quality and fertiliser on fruit production, microbial safety and nutritional value,” Nasa said of the experiments.
“The ability to grow plants in space for fresh food and an improved crew living experience is important for future long-duration missions.”
“The hardware could be adapted for use on Earth to provide fresh produce for those without access to gardens and as horticultural therapy for older people and people with disabilities.”
Astronauts have been growing fruits and vegetables in space for many years. This is vital to meeting the goal of establishing a base on the Moon or other planets, and also helps to reduce their dependence on resupply missions sent from Earth.
In August 2015, red romaine lettuce became the first vegetable to be grown in space, proving to be a tastier alternative to the packaged space food astronauts have to eat.
Fire safety research
Another experiment involving fire safety in space that Dr Al Neyadi participated in is also being sent to scientists on ground for analysis.
The research included how fuel temperature affects material flammability.
Dr Al Neyadi tested some materials and the gel samples are being returned to Earth.
“The investigation could improve safety of crew members on future missions by increasing understanding of early fire growth behaviour, informing selection of fire-resistant spacecraft cabin materials, validating flammability models and helping to determine optimal fire suppression techniques,” Nasa said.
Spacewalk preparations
Once the samples have left the station, the next big task on the ISS is a spacewalk by two Russian cosmonauts.
Commander Sergey Prokopyev and flight engineer Dmitri Petelin will exit the station’s Poisk airlock in their Russian Orlan spacesuits.
They will then turn to the Earth-facing side of the station to start the work of moving a radiator and an experiment module.
The next spacewalk, on April 28, will include Dr Al Neyadi and Nasa astronaut Stephen Bowen, who will venture outside for six-and-a-half hours to retrieve communication hardware.
Sultan Al Neyadi in space — in pictures
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
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Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
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BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti
Group C
Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia
Group D
Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria
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- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
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The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
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- Price: Not announced yet
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Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
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Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto
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The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
