A spacecraft and its four-man crew lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on March 2, NASA said. Al-Neyadi, 41, is only the second person from his country to fly to space and the first to launch from US soil as part of a long-duration space station team.
The six-month science mission will see experiments ranging from human cell growth in space to controlling combustible materials in microgravity, Alarabiya News reported.
The mission marks the sixth long-term ISS team that NASA has flown aboard SpaceX since the private rocket venture founded by Elon Musk - billionaire CEO of electric car maker Tesla Inc and social media platform Twitter - began sending American astronauts to orbit in May 2020. This Dragon is named Endeavour.
Nearly 80 spectators from the United Arab Emirates watched from the launch site as astronaut al-Neyadi — only the second Emirati to fly to space — blasted off on his mission. The capsule is now traveling at about 7,500 km per hour.
Al-Neyadi sent a message from space on the live feed, saying: “Thanks to my parents, my family, thanks to our leadership...thank you for everyone who trained us and got us ready for this mission.”
“Welcome to orbit,” SpaceX Launch Control radioed, noting liftoff occurred four years to the day after the capsule’s first orbital test flight. “If you enjoyed your ride, please don’t forget to give us five stars.”
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan praised the successful launch of the space mission, state news agency WAM reported.
He said: “The participation of Emirates in this mission is seen as a step closer towards achieving our vision of ensuring a better future for generations and strengthen their participation in building the future.”
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, said the mission furthered the ambitions of the UAE in the space sector.
“Our ambition in exploring space sciences is limitless, and we are keen to strengthening our position in this promising sector”, he said.
Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, chairman of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), said the UAE’s latest venture into space would be history-making.