Date set for UAE astronaut Al Neyadi's ISS mission

A date has been set for the "first Arab long-duration astronaut mission" that will see Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi spend six months on board the International Space Station.

Taking to their official Twitter handle, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre said the launch date "is scheduled no earlier than February 26".

The space agency added that the "mission will include different scientific experiments and research".

Al Neyadi will be joined by NASA commander Stephen Bowen, pilot William Hoburg and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev for the mission.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon Crew spacecraft will launch from the Kennedy Space Centre in the US state of Florida.

Update: The launch date of the first Arab long-duration astronaut mission is scheduled no earlier than 26 February 2023. The 6-month mission, on board the International Space Station, will include different scientific experiments and research.#UAEAstronautProgramme pic.twitter.com/sPC9GxCG3h

— MBR Space Centre (@MBRSpaceCentre) January 19, 2023

The announcement comes as Al Neyadi completed the final training at SpaceX in the US along with other crew members.