Sultan Al Neyadi celebrates 1st birthday at ISS with American, Russian and Saudi astronauts

Syed Shayaan Bakht, Staff Reporter

Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi celebrated his 42nd birthday in space along with his colleagues on Thursday.

Al Neyadi said, “Celebrated my 1st birthday in space with colleagues who have become family! Highlight of the day? A Maple Muffin top cake from the USA crew, a Cinnamon Bun with yoghurt and dry fruits from the Russian crew, topped off with wishes in Arabic. Truly a gravity-defying celebration!”

Sultan Al Neyadi tweeted two pictures with his fellow astronauts aboard the International Station showing the celebration.

Neyadi expressed his feeling of joy, because he was celebrating his birthday among his second family in space, and receiving a “cake” from the United States of America and another from Russia, in addition to receiving congratulations in Arabic from Saudi astronauts Bernawi and Al-Qarni.

Laterin the day, the Emirati astronaut shared a picture of Jordan from space on the occasion of the country's Independence Day.

Al Neyadi said, “Saluting Jordan on their Independence Day.

“A beacon of Arab culture and boundless generosity set against the enigmatic backdrop of the Dead Sea, Jordan seamlessly blends heritage and natural charm. Here is a snap of #Amman, a city that holds a special place in our hearts.”

The UAE Rulers have also sent a message of congratulations to King Abdullah II of Jordan on the occasion of his country's Independence Day, which is marked on 25th May.
 
This is the first time in history, three Arab astronauts have gathered in space.

During the lauch, Neyadi said, “In the footsteps of Prince Sultan Bin Salman Al Saud, first Arab astronaut, the first mission of two Saudi astronauts to the International Space Station launched. I look forward to the moments when we will get together as the first three Arabs in space. I wish all the best to both colleagues and I hereby share with you this photo that I took of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi tweeted.

Ali Al Qarni, 31, one of the AX-2 space mission crew, is the first Saudi to participate in an international space mission. He is a captain pilot, holds a bachelor’s degree in aviation sciences (King Faisal Air Academy in Riyadh) and owns 12 years of experience on combat aircraft with 2,387 flying hours.

Rayana Bernawi, 33, has become the first Arab and Saudi woman to perform a mission in space. She works as a research and laboratory specialist and she holds a bachelor’s degree in reproduction, genetic engineering and tissue growth (University of Otago, New Zealand) and a master’s in biomedical sciences from Alfaisal University. She also has 9 years of experience in the field of cancer stem cells.

On June 17, 1985, Prince Sultan Bin Salman Al Saud set off on a space mission with NASA’s Shuttle Discovery for 7 days, one hour and 38 minutes, to be the first Arab Muslim astronaut. By this, Arabs moved from the stage of monitoring the modern progress of space technology to that of keeping up and actually participating in it.

Last week, Al Neyadi shared a wonderful picture of the capital, Abu Dhabi from the International Space Station (ISS), and commented on it, " Here is the heart of our beloved home, the UAE. ️
“A city with a vibrant present and promising future…The capital of our nation #AbuDhabi."

The photo was taken from ISS as it travelled over the UAE.

Neyadi, earlier this month, monitored the Emirate of Dubai with a picture of a night that showed its beautiful features, and commented on it, “Dubai shines almost as bright as the stars up here. #MyDubai ”
Al Neyadi continues the longest mission of Arab astronauts aboard the ISS, which lasts for 6 months.
 
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.