The two astronauts expressed their happiness and sense of responsibility before launching to the International Space Station on September 25, during a press conference held yesterday in Moscow, on the occasion of passing the crews of the space (president and alternative), the final tests successfully.

UAE astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri said: “The historical launch of the UAE and the Arab world to the International Space Station is 20 days, and in my mind a lot of things. In these moments, I thank the leadership for this opportunity.” Hazza feels responsible, and we look forward to returning from this mission with expertise to motivate young people, and the participation of the Arab world the most important details of the experiences, we need to start from now reserve seats in this important area among the countries of the world ».

The President's crew, including Hazza Al Mansouri, Russian Oleg Scribochka, American Jessica Mir, and Al Badil, including Sultan Al Neyadi, Sergey Rizikov and Thomas Marshburn, held a mission to the International Space Station on Thursday, September 25. At the Yuri Gagarin Astronaut Training Center in the Russian city of Stars, after successfully completing the final tests of the mission. In the presence of officials from the space agencies involved in the mission, and Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, as well as representatives of international media.

Prior to the press conference, the crew (president and replacement) of the September 25 mission met with a committee comprised of the Russian space agency Roskosmos, the European Space Agency (ESA), the US space agency (NASA) and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center. About the astronauts of the mission, their biographies, the exercises they have undergone, and the details of the mission.

The Assistant Director General for Scientific and Technical Affairs at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center, Director of the Emirates Astronaut Program Salem Humaid Al Marri, thanked the Russian Space Agency and the Yuri Gagarin Center for their role in preparing astronauts, praising the outstanding level reached by UAE astronauts Hazza Al Mansouri and Sultan Neyadi, in preparation for the mission to take off to the International Space Station.

UAE astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri said in a speech at the press conference: “The historical launch of the UAE and the Arab world to the International Space Station is 19 days, and I have many things in my mind today; in these moments I thank the leadership for this opportunity, and my father. And my mother who helped me reach this important stage ».

Al Mansouri added: “Today I am in uniform, thanking the UAE Armed Forces and the Air Force, which I am proud to join. This has led me to excellence and reach this place. Today is a harvest and fruit of faith in the potentials of the people of the UAE.

He continued: «Today I put before my eyes the image of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God bless him, gathered with a delegation of astronauts who were talking with him about space, and its importance for the future of States, and my dream to bring his children to space, I can not describe the launch before I I live it, and we hope to be as responsible as this is. ”

He stressed «being the first Arab country to launch to the International Space Station, itself a great responsibility, and we have a lot to learn about the International Space Station with the wonderful team; where we will do a lot of scientific experiments, in cooperation with various agencies of the world, including Roskosmos, the European Space Agency, NASA and JAXA “We will learn how to live together in a zero-gravity environment.

Asked by the UAE's alternative astronaut, Sultan al-Neyadi, about future manned space missions, he said: “We consider the UAE astronauts program a sustainable program, and the biggest proof of this is that the emblem of the mission (ambitious Zayed) was written (mission 1); "There are other tasks ahead."

“His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has said that countries are progressing and countries are holding their place among developed countries. We and my colleague Hazza feel responsible and look forward to returning from this mission with experience to motivate young people. And the participation of the Arab world is the most important details of the experiences, we need to start from now reserve seats in this important area among the countries of the world »

He added: “During the past period, we have gained a lot of experience on space missions, which will contribute significantly to the development of the sustainable space sector program in the UAE, during the next stages of manned missions.”

Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, Director General of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center, said: “We are delighted to have reached these important moments for the UAE and the Arab region, and for the effort of the Emirates Astronaut Program, which is the beginning of a sustainable space exploration program.”

“The UAE's first mission to the International Space Station was the result of intensive efforts by dedicated individuals and organizations in the UAE, and important strategic partnerships with major global space agencies, such as NASA, the European Space Agency and, of course, Roscosmos, which oversaw the training of astronauts. The space".

"We reiterate our commitment to the leadership to continue to make an effort to raise the UAE flag high in space and to support and develop the space industry during the next phase." "We are committed to participating in scientific exploration and human spaceflight, and to making important achievements in the space and science industry."

It is worth mentioning that the mission to launch to the International Space Station, under the program «Emirates Astronauts», which is supervised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, which is the first integrated program in the Arab region to prepare national cadres participating in manned space flights, to carry out tasks A different science becomes part of the research that the international scientific community is doing to create solutions to many challenges, which in turn help to improve the lives of humans on Earth.

8 days and 16 scientific experiments

United Arab Emirates astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri is on an eight-day mission aboard the International Space Station, where he conducts 16 scientific experiments, in cooperation with our partners Roscosmos, NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese Space Exploration Agency (JAXA). Experiments aboard the International Space Station to study the interaction of human body biomarkers in space, compared to experiments conducted on the Earth's surface, study of bone status indicators, disorders of motor activity, perception and perception of the astronaut, as well as the dynamics of fluids in space and the impact of living in space In humans.