VIDEO: Neyadi demonstrates rotational speed dependency on object size aboard ISS

Syed Shayaan Bakht, Staff Reporter

Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi shared a video demonstrating principle of conservation of angular momentum aboard the International Space Station.

The Emirati astronaut captioned the video, “A question for smart people and physics lovers, waiting for your answers… ?”

Neyadi made a classic demonstration of the principle of conservation of angular momentum.

The law of conservation means that the momentum of a rotating object does not change unless some type of external torque is applied. Torque, in this sense, can refer to any outside force that acts upon the object to cause it to twist or rotate.”

Neyadi is trying to explain that when an object is rotating and there is no external influence (torque), its speed remains constant, but however if the size of the object changes, that is if it gets bigger, the rotational speed of the object decreases and vice versa.

Neyadi shows that with his hands and legs tucked in, he is rotating at a certain speed, but when he opens up his body, the speed of rotation decreases.

The example of Neyadi demonstrates the principle of conservation of angular momentum.

Al Neyadi continues the longest mission of Arab astronauts aboard the ISS, which lasts for 6 months.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre shared another photo of Neyadi and his colleague.

The Space Centre said, “A photo of astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi and his colleague Warren Hoburg holding the tools used to open the "Unity" module space-facing side aboard the International Space Station.”

Neyadi is the second man from the UAE to go to space, after Hazzaa Al Mansoori's eight-day mission in 2019.

He is the first Arab to embark on a long-duration space mission.

The UAE is a newcomer to the world of space exploration but quickly making its mark.

It sent an unmanned spacecraft to Mars in 2021, in the Arab world's first interplanetary mission, and last year a rover to the Moon.

In April, the UAE-developed Rashid Moon rover was lost when Japanese start-up ispace's Hakuto-R lunar lander apparently crashed on the Moon's surface.

Sheikh Mohammed quickly directed the MBRSC to begin work on a second rover dubbed Rashid 2.