Sultan Al-Neyadi Becomes 1st Arab Astronaut To Complete Spacewalk

Sultan Al-Neyadi has become the first Arab astronaut to walk in space through the ‘Expedition 69’ mission.

MBR Space Centre tweeted, “Astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi egresses the International Space Station starting the first Arab spacewalk in history”, through its official Twitter handle.

Al-Neyadi and NASA colleague Stephen Bowen left the International Space Station (ISS) at 5.41 p.m. UAE Times on Friday to begin a six-and-a-half-hour maintenance mission.

The UAE astronaut ventured out from the International Space Station (ISS) and completed his historic spacewalk.

MBR Space Centre tweeted, “Astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi shares his final message before completing the historic first Arab spacewalk lasting 7 hours and 1 minute outside the ISS”, through its official Twitter handle.

Al-Neyadi and Bowen performed a two-hour oxygen purge prior to their spacewalk to eliminate nitrogen from their bodies.

It took an additional hour for Al-Neyadi and Bowen to put on their spacesuits and safety gear before entering the airlock to gradually drop the pressure to a safe level for opening the external hatch.

A complete set of the check was performed prior to the spacewalk to ensure the astronauts’ safety.

Al-Neyadi and Bowen faced two main hurdles during their high-altitude trek outside the ISS: radiation and harsh temperatures. When the sun is not visible, the surrounding environment in space can reach scorching temperatures of up to 120 degrees Celsius and drop as low as -150 degrees Celsius.

While the spacesuit is designed to withstand all of this, careful management of the suit during the mission was also required.

Director General of Mohammed Bin Rashed Space Centre, Salem Humaid Al-Marri commented on the spacewalk and discussed the UAE’s commitment to the global space community.

Salem Humaid Al-Marri said, “Sultan Al-Neyadi’s spacewalk has generated an unprecedented level of excitement and interest within the public, underscoring the immense significance of this mission”.

“This milestone achievement will play a critical role in restoring the International Space Station to its full operational capability, cementing the UAE’s position as a leading contributor to the global space community”, he added.

After launching from Cape Canaveral in Florida with his Crew-6 team members on March 2, 2023, Al-Neyadi will soon complete two months in space.

The UAE Astronaut Programme is one of the initiatives supervised by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre as part of the UAE’s National Space Programme and funded by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority’s ICT Fund, which aims to support research and development in the UAE’s ICT sector and promote the country’s global integration.

Also read: North Korea Slams United States-South Korea Defense Agreement, Warns Of Serious Danger