Following the successful launch of Emirati astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi’s space mission, the UAE president and vice president issued statements of congratulations and pride.
According to AFP, he is the second Emirati to travel to space.
“I join the nation in congratulating Sultan AlNeyadi on the start of his pioneering mission aboard the International Space Station,” President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan tweeted. “His inspiring achievement is a source of great pride for the UAE and another milestone in our nation’s and our people’s ambitions.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, also expressed his delight at the launch of AlNeyadi, the Arab nation’s first extended space mission.
The crown prince of Dubai, Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, witnessed the launch at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center.
AlNeyadi was aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft Endeavour with his Crew-6 colleagues Stephen Bowen, Warren Hoburg, and Andrey Fedyaev when it successfully entered orbit earlier today.
Neyadi, 41, is the fourth Arab astronaut to travel to space and the second from the oil-rich UAE; his compatriot Hazzaa al-Mansoori flew an eight-day mission in 2019.
After a 24.5-hour journey, Crew-6 will dock at the space station on Friday morning.