Saudi Arabia has announced that it will send four astronauts to the International Space Station, two of which will fly this year. Photo: Courtesy of Saudi Gazette Tweet
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has announced that it will send two of its astronauts, including a woman, to the International Space Station (ISS) this year.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, by the middle of this year, Ali Al-Qarni and Rayana Barnawi will be sent to the International Space Station as part of Saudi Arabia’s space program Vision 2030. However, both astronauts will fly from the US on the AX-2 space mission.
According to the announcement of Saudi Arabia, the aim of this step is to increase the space technology capability of the Emirate of Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia wants to be part of this project of scientific research and humanitarian interests, including medicine, sustainable development and space technology.
After this, Maryam Firdous and Ali Al Ghamdi, who are currently undergoing training, will be sent into space. Thus, four astronauts from Saudi Arabia are ready for a space tour, who will also play a role in many scientific experiments of the International Space Station.
According to Saudi authorities and experts, this will not only increase Saudi Arabia’s space experiments, but also open the way for its own research priorities. In this way, youth will be encouraged to join the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
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