Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center has announced the docking of the Soyuz MS15 spacecraft, carrying the UAE astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri, to the International Space Station; in the first UAE manned mission to space, to be Mansouri, the first Emirati astronaut, astronaut The first Arab space to visit the International Space Station since its inception in 1998.
The center revealed that the Soyuz MS15 was able to dock successfully at the International Space Station, six hours after the launch time, and after two hours of ensuring safety procedures inside the spacecraft, where the entrances of the spacecraft and the station were opened to receive the three astronauts Hazza Mansouri and Russian Oleg Scribushka and Jessica Mir join six astronauts on board: Americans Christina Cook, Andrew Morgan, Nick Hague, Russians Alexander Skvortsov, Alexei Offshinin and Italian Luca Parmitano, bringing the total number of astronauts aboard the International Space Station With joined The new crew.
Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center explained that the docking operation took place six hours after the launch. The rocket carrier started maneuvers to get the right direction to the desired orbit. The Soyuz spacecraft entered Earth orbit to increase the altitude and reach the height of the International Space Station. Approximately 408 km.
About 400 kilometers from the International Space Station, the Soyuz MS15 spacecraft located the station using a special radar system called KURS, and then fixed its direction to the station about 180 kilometers away.
The rendezvous stage was fully automated, and the main task of the crew during the automated docking process was to monitor the systems, analyze the information of the Soyuz vehicle parallel to the docking point of the International Space Station, and information on the distance, direction and speed, so that they could monitor the process accurately to ensure proper procedures.
In the final stage, once the docking occurred, gooseneck locks began to close tightly, a test was conducted to detect any leakage of air, and to make sure the cabin was sealed, which lasted two hours, and when it was 100% confirmed that everything is working well opened the capsule entrance, Hazza al-Mansouri and other astronauts traveled to the International Space Station.
6 scientific experiments
Astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri is conducting 16 scientific experiments in cooperation with international space agencies, including the Russian Roskosmos, the European Space Agency «ESA» and the American Space Agency "NASA", including six experiments will be carried out on the International Space Station to study the interaction of human body biomarkers in space Experiments conducted on the surface of the Earth, studying the indicators of bone condition, disorders of motor activity, as well as perception and perception of time in the astronaut, the dynamics of fluids in space, and the impact of living in space on humans. Some of these results will also be compared with previous results taken before the mission.
The scientific mission also includes experiments on schools in the United Arab Emirates as part of the Space Science Initiative launched by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, which was attended by 16 schools from the UAE in the presence of UAE astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri in the first phase, and will be conducted in a zero-gravity environment. Almost on board the station to compare the results, these experiments will contribute to the supply of Emirati curriculum with new scientific materials to be the product of the first manned mission to the UAE space.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center and the Emirates Foundation provide students, schools and universities with the opportunity to participate in live video or radio interviews at the center with Hazza Al Mansoori while on board the International Space Station.
Continuous communication
A team from Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, including Sultan Al Neyadi, headed by Emirates Program Director, Salem Al Marri, will communicate with Hazza Al Mansouri during his mission twice a day, starting from the Control Center of the Moscow Earth Station, to review the progress of the mission and confirm the progress of the program. Daily astronaut Hazza Mansouri as planned aboard the International Space Station.
Integrated system
It is noteworthy that the mission of the first Emirati astronaut to the International Space Station falls within the program "Emirates Astronauts", which is supervised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, and is the first integrated program in the Arab region to prepare national cadres participating in manned space missions for various scientific missions It becomes part of the research carried out by the international scientific community to devise solutions to many challenges in order to improve human life on Earth.
The Emirates Astronaut Program is directly supported by the Telecommunication and Information Technology Sector Development Fund, the financing arm of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). Launched in 2007, the fund is the first of its kind in the Middle East and aims to support research and development efforts in the telecommunications sector in the country, enrich, support and develop technical services and promote the country's integration into the global economy.