UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi to perform Arab world's first spacewalk
NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen will accompany Al Neyadi on the spacewalk to update the power generation system of the space station and to retrieve a significant communication apparatus.
FollowDubai: The first Arab spacewalk will be carried out tonight by UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi outside the International Space Station (ISS), marking a significant turning point in the history of Arab space research.
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The Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre (MBRSC), the organisation in charge of the UAE Astronaut Programme in Dubai, will begin live streaming the much-awaited event at 4.30 PM UAE time at mbrsc.ae/live.
“Counting down the hours until we pass through the ISS airlock into space. Wearing the spacesuit and proudly bearing the UAE flag on my arm, I will soon be undertaking the Arab world’s first spacewalk. Wish us luck!”, Sultan Al Neyadi tweeted.
In one of the pictures he shared, he could be seen sporting the UAE flag on the shoulder of his Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), an all-white spacesuit.
NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen will accompany Al Neyadi on the spacewalk to update the power generation system of the space station and to retrieve a significant communication apparatus.
When the "Sultan of Space" exits the station's Quest Airlock at around 5.30 p.m. UAE time, he will carry "Zayed's Ambition" and the UAE flag into space.
On Thursday, they underwent robotic and physical testing aboard the orbiting outpost. They also completed setting up their Quest airlocks and tool collections.
Around 5.15 p.m., Bowen and Al Neyadi will start their spacewalk by switching their EMUs to battery power. This will be Bowen's ninth spacewalk overall and fourth on the ISS in 2023. Additionally, from Dubai, the MBRSC's Mission Control Centre team will be supervising and coordinating.
