Emirati astronaut Neyadi recycles water and creates clean air for ISS

Syed Shayaan Bakht, Staff Reporter

Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi published new photos showing him separating oxygen from hydrogen to obtain air to breathe, and refining previously used water and other liquids to obtain clean water again aboard the International Space Station.

Neyadi will stay at the ISS for 6 months.

Al Neyadi said on Twitter: “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.

“In these photos, I'm working on the tank that recycles water, while wearing a PPE kit to prevent contamination.

“Ensuring a well-maintained life support system is a key task for astronauts, particularly during long-duration missions.”

The photos show Al Neyadi wearing personal protective equipment and working on cylindrical motor.

The Emirati astronaut highlighted that PPE is important to prevent any contamination during the purification process.

Al Neyadi has been conducting day-day to tasks at ISS and has been sharing his opinions and some breathtaking photos of planet earth from above.

His latest capture shows the massive sandstorms in the Sahara desert.

He wrote on Twitter, “From so far away, I am constantly reminded of the beauty of our planet.

One of my favourite activities on the ISS is getting behind the lens for Earth observation, capturing breathtaking sights that can only be witnessed from space.

I'm delighted to share this recent image I clicked of a sandstorm, sweeping across the enchanting Sahara desert.”

The astronaut, who has made history by embarking on the longest Arab space mission, said, “On Earth, exercising is important. In space, it's vital. Aboard the International Space Station, we exercise for 2.5 hours every day to avoid muscle atrophy and bone loss triggered by microgravity.”

Nasa said astronaut Al Neyadi and his Crew-6 colleagues have started to work on their tasks aboard the ISS.

The four Crew-6 members are two NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren Hoburg, Russian cosmonaut, Andrey Fedyaev, and Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi.

The crew will spend six months on the station, where they will conduct more than 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations, according to SpaceX.

The mission was the first space flight for Neyadi, Hoburg and Fedyaev.

Neyadi, 41, is the fourth astronaut from an Arab country and the second from the oil-rich UAE to journey to space.

Fedyaev is the second Russian cosmonaut to fly to the ISS aboard a SpaceX rocket. NASA astronauts fly regularly to the station on Russian Soyuz craft.

Space has remained a rare venue of cooperation between Moscow and Washington since the Russian offensive in Ukraine placed them in sharp opposition.