List of Arab astronauts explained

To date, there have been six astronauts from Arab nations, also called "najmonauts"[1] [2] [3] [4] ('najm' meaning 'star' in Arabic)[5] [6] who have flown to space (with multiple others currently in training).[7] [8] Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia flew in the US Space Shuttle in 1985.[9] [10] Syrian astronaut Muhammed Faris made a space flight in 1987, as part of a joint Syrian-Soviet mission.[11] [12] [13] In 2019 Hazza Al Mansouri of the United Arab Emirates flew in the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft to the International Space Station and in 2023 Sultan Al Neyadi from the United Arab Emirates flew to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Dragon crew capsule.[14] [15] [16] Al Neyadi was joined during his mission by Saudi Arabian fighter pilot Ali Al-Qarni and the first Arab female, Saudi Arabian stem cell researcher Rayyanah Barnawi.[17] [18] [19] [20]

Saudi astronauts

In 1985, the Arab Organization of Space Communications nominated Sultan bin Salman Al Saud. Originally a civilian pilot holding a commercial pilots licence,[21] Al Saud, a member of the House of Saud, was born in Riyadh, to King Salman of Saudi Arabia, and holds a bachelor's degree of Arts in Media from the University of Denver, Colorado. Al Saud undertook high-level training before his flight, including: how to deploy the Arab satellite at a distance of 320 km above the Earth's surface, as well as how to use a camera from the unit (Hamlad - 500) to take pictures of geological features of the Arabian Peninsula.

In 2023, Ali AlQarni and Rayyanah Barnawi became the first Saudi astronauts who traveled to the ISS on the Axiom 2 private mission. Rayyanah was the first female Arab astronaut.[22] [23] [24] [25]

Emirati astronauts

On 25 September 2019, Hazza Al Mansouri became the first Emirati to become an astronaut, travelling in the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft to the International Space Station.[26] During his short stay aboard the ISS, Al Mansouri conducted 15 experiments created by UAE school students and selected under an MBRSC "Science in space" competition,[27] [28] conducted Earth observation experiments, filmed the first ever tour of the ISS in Arabic and became the first Middle eastern person to be studied following time in microgravity.[29]

Sultan Al Neyadi became the second Emirati astronaut who traveled to the ISS on the SpaceX Crew-6 mission. Nora Al Matrooshi and Mohammad Al Mulla are other UAE astronauts.

Syrian astronaut

Muhammed Faris was a Syrian astronaut born in Aleppo in 1951. Faris was the first Syrian astronaut and second Arab into space, flying in the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz M3 (TM-2) to space station Mir on 22 July 1987 with two Soviet cosmonauts in the program for cooperation in space between Syria and the Soviet Union. He is credited with carrying the first recorded Earth dirt into space, which was a vial carrying soil from Damascus.[30]

Astronaut of Iraqi Descent

On 25 September 2019, Jessica Meir whose father is of Sephardic Jewish descent and was born in Baghdad,[31] travelled in the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft to the International Space Station.[32] She delivered an empowering video message of support to kids on the Hope Buses in Baghdad.[33]

List

ImageCountryNameMission (launch date)InsigniaDescription
Sultan bin Salman Al Saud[34] STS-51-G (June 17, 1985)First Muslim, first Saudi, first Arab, first member of royalty in space.
Muhammed Faris[35] Mir EP-1 (July 22, 1987)First Syrian in space; second Arab in space.
Hazza Al MansouriSoyuz MS-15 (September 25, 2019)First Emirati in space; third Arab in space.
Sultan Al NeyadiSpaceX Crew-6 (March 2, 2023)Second Emirati in space; fifth Arab in space.
Ali AlQarniAxiom Mission 2 (May 21, 2023)First male Saudi to ISS.
Rayyanah BarnawiAxiom Mission 2 (May 21, 2023)First Saudi woman in space; first Arab woman in space; third Muslim woman in space.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2023-03-03 . From Sultan AlNeyadi to Hazzaa AlMansoori; meet the 'Najmonaut's of the Arab world . 2023-06-01 . me.mashable.com . en-ae.
  2. Web site: Nasir . Sarwat . 2020-10-08 . Forget astronauts, meet the 'najmonauts': experts coin a new word for Arab space explorers . 2023-01-31 . The National . en.
  3. Web site: Experts want region to boldly go with a new name for Arab astronauts. 9 October 2020. 2023-01-31 . PressReader.
  4. Web site: Web Desk . UAE's Sultan AlNeyadi now a 'najmonaut': Meet the only 4 Arabs in this elite circle of space explorers . 2023-06-01 . Khaleej Times . en.
  5. Web site: Bullen . Lee . 2020-10-20 . Russia Has Cosmonauts So Arab Spacemen Want Najmonauts . 2023-05-16 . ViralTab . en-GB.
  6. Web site: Muslim Astronaut Posts Stunning Video of Mecca From Space . 2023-05-17 . Futurism.
  7. Web site: 2021-04-11 . Emirati astronaut Nora Al Matrooshi: First Arab 'space girl' set for orbital mission . 2023-06-01 . gulfnews.com . en.
  8. Web site: Nasir . Sarwat . 2021-07-07 . Dubai Police pilot turned astronaut sets sights on the Moon . 2023-06-01 . The National . en.
  9. Web site: Johnson Space Center Home. 11 February 2015.
  10. Web site: Al-Saud. astronautix.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20160402231815/http://www.astronautix.com/astros/alsaud.htm. 2 April 2016. dead.
  11. Web site: Cosmonaut Biography: Muhammed Faris. spacefacts.de.
  12. Web site: Фарис Мухаммед Ахмед. warheroes.ru.
  13. Web site: Faris. astronautix.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081337/http://www.astronautix.com/astros/faris.htm. 4 March 2016. dead.
  14. Web site: 2023-03-03 . From Sultan AlNeyadi to Hazzaa AlMansoori; meet the 'Najmonaut's of the Arab world . 2023-05-16 . me.mashable.com . en-ae.
  15. Web site: UAE's Sultan AlNeyadi now a 'najmonaut': Meet the 4 Arabs in this elite circle of space explorers . 2023-05-16 . MSN . en-AE.
  16. Web site: How the UAE has set its sights on space . 2023-05-16 . The Week . en.
  17. Web site: DUNN . MARCIA . 2023-05-31 . Private flight with 2 Saudi astronauts returns from space station with Gulf of Mexico splashdown . 2023-06-01 . Chron . en-US.
  18. Web site: Private astronaut crew, including first Arab woman in orbit, returns from space station . 2023-06-01 . MSN . en-US.
  19. Web site: SpaceX capsule splashes down in Gulf of Mexico . 2023-06-01 . USA TODAY . en-US.
  20. Web site: Saudi, US astronauts splash down on return from space station . 2023-06-01 . MSN . en-US.
  21. Web site: Astronaut Biography: Salman Al-Saud. spacefacts.de.
  22. Web site: First Arab female astronaut arrives at ISS . 2023-06-01 . MSN . en-US.
  23. Web site: Astronaut Team Comprising First Arab Woman In Orbit Returns From Space Station .
  24. Web site: Private astronaut crew, including first Arab woman in orbit, heads for splashdown . 2023-06-01 . MSN . en-US.
  25. News: 2023-05-31 . Private astronaut crew, including first Arab woman in orbit, return from space station . en . The Straits Times . 2023-06-01 . 0585-3923.
  26. Web site: UAE in space: UAE Mission 1 a revered milestone in nation's space exploration goals . gulfnews.com . 20 January 2020 . en.
  27. Web site: Schools invited to pitch for space project for UAE astronauts. gulfnews.com.
  28. Web site: Science in Space – Push the boundaries and send your experiment to space..
  29. Web site: Hazzaa Ali AlMansoori | Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre - MBRSC -UAE . Mbrsc.ae . 2022-02-22.
  30. Web site: 9 April 2015 . The first Syrian in space . The National.
  31. Web site: Swedish-Israeli NASA astronaut Jessica Meir gets ready for space. 2021-10-23. The Jerusalem Post JPost.com. en-US.
  32. Web site: My father's journey began here in Baghdad, his birthplace and home to Meirs for many years. Goodnight Baghdad! #TheJourney #GoodnightFromSpace. twitter.com . 20 January 2020 . en.
  33. Web site: NASA Astronaut Meir Sends Special Message from Space to Hope Bus Children in Baghdad. iraqichildren.org/ . 20 January 2020 . en.
  34. http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198601/a.prince.in.space.htm A prince in space
  35. Web site: Eight Muslims in Space and Counting. El-Maghraby. Tamer. 19 March 2007. IslamOnline.net. March 26, 2010.