UAE to send Emirati astronaut for 180-day space mission

The UAE is set to send an Emirati astronaut on a 180-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said it's another major milestone for the UAE Space sector.

It will be the first time an Arab astronaut will join the crew on the ISS for a six-month mission, which is expected to start in Spring 2023.

Astronauts will conduct large-scale scientific experiments which will contribute to a greater understanding of space, with the Director General of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, Salem AlMarri, saying they will collaborate with various countries to offer new data in support of future missions.

The agreement means the UAE will be the region's first country and the 11th in history to send a long-term mission to the ISS.

محطة جديدة لقطاع الفضاء في دولة الامارات بتوقيع اتفاقية جديدة لإرسال أول رائد فضاء عربي لمهمة طويلة تمتد ١٨٠ يوم لمحطة الفضاء الدولية … الإمارات ستكون الدولة ال١١ في التاريخ التي ترسل مهمة طويلة الأمد للفضاء .. فخورين بشباب الإمارات 🇦🇪 pic.twitter.com/vSILefU77I

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) April 29, 2022