First Arab cosmonaut Sultan al-Neyadi from the UAE went into space from the ISS
The first Arab cosmonaut from the United Arab Emirates, Sultan al-Neyadi, after three years of training, left the ISS for outer space. The historic event was announced by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center.
The report notes that al-Neyadi is outside the ISS in outer space «for the first time in the history of the Arab world.» Together with US astronaut Steve Bowen, they embarked on the task of «replacing the radio frequency communications unit and preparing for the installation of solar panels.»
The historic mission will last approximately 6.5 hours outside the International Space Station.
Sultan al-Neyadi became the second UAE astronaut to fly into space. Unlike his predecessor Hazza al-Mansouri, who visited the ISS for 8 days in September 2019, al-Neyadi will become the first Arab cosmonaut to make a long flight.