Hazza Al Mansouri, the first Emirati astronaut, at the end of the historic trip to the International Space Station, returned safely to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS12 spacecraft, which also carried US astronauts Nick Haig and Russian Alexei Offshinin, after eight days A group of intensive scientific experiments, landed in the plains area southeast of the city of Gizkazgan in Karaganda, central Kazakhstan, at 2:59 pm Thursday afternoon.
Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center revealed the details of the return flight, which began to close the entrance of the Soyuz MS12 at 8:30 am UAE time on Thursday, October 3; after testing for no leaks, a full readiness signal was given. The vehicle broke away from the station at 11 and 37 minutes in the morning.
Al Mansoori was received at the landing site by the Director of the Emirates Astronaut Program Engineer Salem Al Marri, the Director of the Office of Astronauts at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center Saeed Karmastji, in addition to a specialized international medical team; while continuing the return to Earth from the control station of the Earth Station Russian Space in Moscow: Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center Hamad Obaid Al-Mansouri, Director General of the Center Yousef Hamad Al-Shaibani, in addition to a number of members of the Center.
The astronauts were transported as soon as they landed for the necessary tests according to the procedures followed with the astronauts upon their return from space.After the transfer of astronauts Alexei Offshinin and Hazza Al-Mansouri to the Yuri Gagarin Astronaut Training Center in the city of Stars, in Moscow, Dr. Hanan Al-Suwaidi, examined Hazza Al-Mansouri His health.
Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori said: “Today we are proudly welcoming the UAE Ambassador to Space, Hazza Al Mansouri, back to Earth with the results of important scientific experiments for humanity and the international community, which he conducted on the International Space Station to open the way for the Arab youth to new hopes and dreams in this. Sector. "
“Today, we are making a historic leap in the aerospace sector with the completion of a new success story for the UAE, during which one of its sons embarked with him with the ambition of Zayed and the state flag to rise high among the stars of the sky. Al Mansouri today is a role model not only for the UAE youth, but for all Arab youth and role models. Illuminate the way for future generations. "
For his part, Yusuf Hamad Al Shaibani said: “We are living today with historic luminous moments in the UAE, with the return of the first Emirati astronaut, praise be to God, to the earth, and we prove that we are able to turn our dreams into reality; We emphasize that there is no limit to the ambitions and aspirations of the UAE nationals anytime, anywhere. "
He added: “I am very grateful to our wise leadership, which has provided all the necessary resources to establish a strong national space sector. The global space agencies and the youth team at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center are committed to continue to work towards achieving further achievements in the space sector in the hands of UAE nationals. ”
“Today, we see the objectives of the Emirates Astronaut Program being achieved by the return of the first UAE astronaut safely to Earth, armed with hands-on experience of manned space missions. This expertise will help build the capacity of future generations of those interested in the space sector, ensuring the sustainability of the program,” said Engineer Salem Al Marri. .
"The success of this mission is supported by a large team from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, which has been interested in all aspects of the mission very efficiently, including the scientific team that contributed to the identification of scientific experiments of the mission, and the team of earth stations in Dubai, Moscow and Houston, which made communication between Hazza and the public possible , And the management team that took care of the details where there is no room for error;
Hazza al-Mansouri returned aboard the Soyuz MS12, which consists of the Orbital Unit, Docking Unit and Landing Unit. He was accompanied by Russian astronauts Alexei Ovchinin and US astronaut Nick Haig, who have been at the station since Last March.
Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center explained that the separation process started about three and a half hours before landing, and minutes after the separation, the engines of the vehicle worked faster; to reach a safe distance from the station, then began to land at a certain speed, and then directed The vehicle itself intervenes in what is known as a “braking maneuver” to reduce landing speed.
The center said that when the vehicle reached an altitude of about 128 km from the surface of the ground, began the stage of the "entry interface", where it got rid of two-thirds of its mass, and began to friction with the atmosphere, and at this stage the crew worked to slow down the speed of the vehicle, and after this step It landed at 230 meters per second, and its speed was gradually reduced until it reached a few meters per second. Minutes before landing, the deployment of the umbrellas began, in which four umbrellas were opened, including a large one called "anchor" or "clouds" covering an area of 24 square meters, which significantly slowed the landing of the vehicle, reaching a speed of about 79 meters. per second.
In the final phase of the landing, a giant canopy was launched with an area of 10,767 square meters, to control the angle and degree of descent of the vehicle, in addition to slowing the movement very significantly to 7 meters per second, and seconds before the main landing three small engines began to work; The farthest degree to come down comfortably.
Following the landing of the spacecraft and its location in a plain in the southeastern city of Gizkazgan in central Kazakhstan, a team of specialized rescuers rushed to the site, and parachute ropes were cut to prevent wind caps from pulling out of the capsule, the spacecraft's breathing system valves were opened, and astronauts were assisted and removed from the spacecraft.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, during his visit to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai last Friday, held a phone call with Hazza Al Mansouri where he congratulated him on the safe access to the station. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, congratulated His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan on his ambition to reach space.
The astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri expressed his thanks and gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for the support, encouragement and support, stressing that the wise leadership of the UAE provides a model to support its people and challenge the impossible and provide opportunities for youth All Areas.
Al Mansouri expressed his pride in being the first Emirati and the first Arab to address the earth in Arabic from the International Space Station and the first to carry the UAE flag into space, hoping that the experiences he and his colleagues will contribute to the service of humanity.
UAE astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri conducted 16 scientific experiments in collaboration with international partners, including the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japanese Space Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Russian Space Agency "Roscosmos", and the US Space Agency "NASA", including six experiments on board. The International Space Station in Microgravity, a virtually zero-gravity environment, studies the interaction of human body biomarkers in space compared to experiments conducted on the Earth's surface, studies of bone status indicators, disorders of motor activity, perception and time perception of the astronaut. To the dynamics of Liquids in space, the impact of living in space on humans, this is the first time this type of research is done on a person from the Arab region.
The mission included experiments from schools in the UAE, as part of the Space Science Initiative, launched by the Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Space. About 16 schools from the UAE participated in the presence of UAE astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri in the first phase. Almost gravity on board the station.
He also conducted several video and radio communication sessions, where a large number of school students from various emirates participated in the sessions. The sessions provided an opportunity for participants to ask many diverse questions that Hazza answered about life aboard the International Space Station.
In an unprecedented achievement, UAE astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri recorded the first Arabic-language introductory tour of the International Space Station (ISS), explaining the station's components, devices and equipment on board, as well as an overview of the astronauts' daily lives on board. Al Mansouri also recorded several short videos documenting life on the International Space Station and its components, as well as the activities of the astronauts, and recording his diary for 15 minutes every day.
UAE astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri briefed his fellow astronauts on board the station on the most prominent customs and traditions of the UAE, and presented them with three Emirati dishes, where the company "Space Food Laboratory" - Russian Food Processing these space for space where the preparation of custom foods For astronauts according to specific requirements to provide balanced feeding while ensuring easy portability, storage and use in a virtually unattractive environment.
Hazza Al Mansouri read two stories for children entitled Amal and Khalifa, the first Arab astronaut to record stories for children aboard the International Space Station, in a move that will stimulate the passion of new generations and give them an incentive to cognitive excellence and acquaint them with an area they have never before, which is one of the most important areas that focus The United Arab Emirates in its quest for the future.
Al-Mansouri sent a number of videos and photos he took of the planet, as well as photographs of the UAE from space. The images received by the earth station team at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai showed a number of Arab countries in North Africa, Egypt, And Saudi Arabia including Mecca.
Al Mansoori, in a live video call on the fourth day of the mission, presented the selected drawings from the Send to Space initiative launched by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center.
While aboard the International Space Station, Al Mansoori communicated twice daily with the ground station at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai to discuss his daily schedule and assignments aboard the International Space Station.
He also communicated daily with Dr. Hanan Al-Suwaidi, the UAE astronaut physician, who was following his health throughout his time in space, and who will be with the international team to receive him upon his return to check on his health, and conduct some necessary medical tests.
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 involved in manned space missions for various scientific missions , Become part of the research being undertaken by the international scientific community to devise solutions to many challenges that in turn help improve the lives of humans on Earth.
Launched in 2007, the UAE Astronaut Program, which was launched in 2007, is the first of its kind in the Middle East to support research and development efforts in the telecommunications sector. State, enrich, support and develop technical services and promote the integration of the state in the global economy.