Fujairah: Muslims marking the Hjri New Year on Wednesday received a special gift from UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, who is on the longest space mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
In his special Hijri New Year wish, Al Neyadi shared a stunning view of a brightly-lit UAE from the ISS taken at the break of dawn on the horizon at the Earth’s curvature.
“As the Hijri New Year begins, I’m reminded that every moment is the dawn of a new beginning, an opportunity for growth and exploration. Wishing all of you a year filled with blessings, happiness and discovery!,” he said in the social media post.
Astronauts witness 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets in 24 hours as the ISS rotates Earth every 90 minutes. Al Neyadi has been capturing magnificent views of our planet while flying aboard the microgravity laboratory at a speed of around 28,000km around 400km above Earth.
‘Fujairah calling’
Meanwhile, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), the agency behind the UAE Astronaut Programme that sent Al Neyadi to the ISS, revealed that the next edition of its event “A Call from Space” will be held in Fujairah.
In the presence of Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, MBRSC, in partnership with the Crown Prince Office, Government of Fujairah, will hold the next edition of ‘A Call from Space’ in Fujairah, on July 25.
MBRSC said that the event will offer attendees an unprecedented opportunity to communicate live with Al Neyadi.
It will be held at the Al Fujairah Creative Hub on Tuesday, with proceedings commencing at 1:45pm. Doors will open at 12.30pm and close at 1:35pm. Due to the limited availability of seats, enthusiasts are advised to confirm their attendance by visiting the event section on the website of MBRSC.
The series has captivated over 8,300 participants across its previous editions, providing an exclusive insight into Al Neyadi’s extraordinary journey in space and fostering direct dialogue with him through space-to-ground video calls.
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Recent experiments
Al Neyadi has spent over four months on the International Space Station dedicated to a multitude of scientific experiments and maintenance tasks aboard the ISS. Some of his most recent endeavours include the ESA’s FLUIDICS investigation to assess the behaviour of liquids in space, crucial maintenance work inside the International Space Station’s Quest airlock and the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, as well as critical hardware repair of a treadmill in collaboration with NASA astronaut Warren Hoburg.
The UAE Astronaut Programme is one of the projects managed by MBRSC under the UAE’s National Space Programme and funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), which aims to support research and development in the ICT sector in the UAE and promote the country’s integration on the global stage.
