UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi spends a month in space, witnessing 450 sunrises and sunsets
Sultan Al Neyadi, an astronaut from the UAE, has spent a month working on scientific experiments and research on board the International Space Station (ISS).
On social media, the Najmonaut (Arab astronaut), who is now on the longest Arab space mission—a six-month journey—announced that he and the other members of NASA SpaceX Crew-6 have achieved considerable progress with their mission's experiments and research.
Al Neyadi, 41, and the other three Crew-6 members were sent into space on a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket on March 2.
On March 3, around 10:40 a.m. UAE time, the Crew Dragon Endeavour carrying Al Neyadi, NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg, and Roscosmos astronaut Andrey Fedyaev had automatically connected to the Harmony module of the ISS.
Al Neyadi tweeted about the launch, saying: "We launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and started our voyage into orbit one month ago. Since then, we've seen more than 450 sunrises and sunsets and made great strides in our mission's experiments and research.
A month ago, we launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida and began our journey into space.
— Sultan AlNeyadi (@Astro_Alneyadi) April 2, 2023
Since then, we have witnessed more than 450 sunrises and sunsets, and made significant progress in the experiments and research for our mission. United with my crew, we continue to work… pic.twitter.com/FHHxubKsEM
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) see 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets each day as the Earth rotates every 90 minutes. Until now, Al Neyadi has seen more than 450 sunrises and sunsets.
The Emirati astronaut also discussed how he is advancing the UAE Space Mission, which was established in memory of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the nation's founding father. "As a team, my staff and I continue to strive to accomplish our scientific objectives. As he shared daylight pictures of the UAE from the ISS, Al Neyadi said, "I gladly carry forth Zayed's Ambition from Earth to space.
Water is a precious resource in space. It is used to create clean air by separating oxygen from hydrogen, and it is also recycled to provide a continuous supply of clean water.
— Sultan AlNeyadi (@Astro_Alneyadi) March 31, 2023
In these photos, I'm working on the tank that recycles water, while wearing a PPE kit to prevent… pic.twitter.com/mZeOyu6EVR
In the first week alone, Al Neyadi additionally rebuilt electronic parts and added space biology hardware.
He has participated in numerous studies, and his scientific investigations into the human heart, sleep, diet, and medications are ongoing. Al Neyadi has also been hard at work performing maintenance tasks on the ISS, such as plumbing tasks like removing and installing a toilet.
As part of my set of experiments on the ISS, I was excited to take part in the "Cardinal Heart 2.0" study by Stanford University. Through this experiment, we are exploring the effects of clinical drugs on heart cells in microgravity using heart tissues.
— Sultan AlNeyadi (@Astro_Alneyadi) March 27, 2023
Discoveries from such… pic.twitter.com/Z7zGeucgcT
Calls from Space to Ground
He had a live video call on March 7 with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai. On the same day, he spoke to GEMS Jumeirah College students during a ham radio session. In the first installment of the nationwide campaign "A Call With Space," launched by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, he spoke with almost 2,000 locals on March 21 at the Dubai Opera.
One of his favourite things to do on the ISS is to use his camera to observe Earth and record the amazing images that are only visible from orbit. Stunning views of the UAE, Egypt, and the Sahara Desert can be found in the photos he took from the ISS's cupola.
The ELF in Space programme, through which school kids are learning more about space explorations, has utilised Al Neyadi's recorded video sessions.
Al Neyadi also received his first hair cut in space during the last month, posted a space trivia, and shared posts urging people to protect water, our planet, and the necessity for exercise in general, especially in space.
