The launch of the first Emirati astronaut to the International Space Station begins on the afternoon of September 25, 2019 UAE time, with the participation of UAE astronauts Hazza Al Mansouri and Sultan Al Neyadi.
Launched from the Baikonur space station in Kazakhstan via the Soyuz MS12 spacecraft, the mission is divided into three basic phases, including the preparation of the spacecraft, the second phase of gravity overcome and the final stage of spacecraft launch.
The UAE astronaut will conduct 16 scientific experiments, including six experiments aboard the International Space Station to study the interaction of human body biomarkers in space compared to experiments conducted on Earth.
After completing the eight-day experiments on the International Space Station, the astronaut will return to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS12 on Friday, October 4.
It is noteworthy that the mission of the first Emirati astronaut to the International Space Station falls under the program «Emirates Astronauts», which is supervised by 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 scientific missions They become part of the research undertaken by the international scientific community to devise solutions to many challenges that in turn help to improve the lives of humans on Earth.