Houston, United States – The Saudi Space Commission (SSC) on Thursday announced the flight dates of two Saudi astronauts on AX-2 space mission to the International Space Station (ISS). One of the astronauts is Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Saudi woman to fly into space.
Barnawi and fellow astronaut Ali Al-Qarni will blast off from Florida on a private mission to the International Space Station (ISS), the officials from the SSC, Axiom Space, NASA and SpaceX said in a briefing to preview the flight.
The officials welcomed the 4 member crew of the mission, comprising Barnawi, Al-Qarni, Peggy Whitson, and John Shoffner, wishing them success in their mission.
Saudi astronauts underwent an intensive special training program, to prepare for the flight, which included conducting 14 pioneering simulations in microgravity.
The training program for the Saudi astronauts included teaching them operational processes at the ISI and conducting several exercises in the Japanese and European research centers in January and February, in addition to training in exploratory skills at the headquarters of the “SpaceX” company in Hawthorne, California, the participants at the press conference said.
The officials commended the Saudi astronauts’ “exceptional” competence and resourcefulness in various fields and environments, including engineering, robotics, and life support systems.
“The launch of the mission inaugurates a new era for Saudi Arabia in space exploration,” the officials at the press conference said. “This mission represents a milestone for two historical events: first, as it is the first mission for a Saudi woman in space and second, as it is also the first time that a Saudi team is working on the ISS.”
Advisor at SSC, Eng. Mashael Al-Shammari affirmed the confidence of SSC in the full readiness of the two Saudi astronauts to carry out their mission in space.
“The astronauts will conduct 11 pioneering scientific experiments in microgravity, and three educational awareness experiments involving 12,000 students in 42 locations in the Kingdom via satellite,” Al-Shammari said.
Barnawi will serve as a mission specialist for Ax-2. The astronaut’s trip to space is being seen as Saudi Arabia’s latest bid to revamp its ultra-conservative image.
Also on board will be Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut who will be making her fourth flight to the ISS, and John Shoffner, a businessman from Tennessee who will serve as pilot. They will join UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, who began his six-month mission on March 3, on board the ISS.
Liftoff of Ax-2 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled for 0243 GMT on May 9 from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral. The crew will travel to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule and spend 10 days aboard the orbiting space station. The mission to the ISS will be the second by Axiom Space, a private US space company.
Who is Rayyanah Barnawi
Barnawi is a Saudi Arabian breast cancer researcher and scientist who is set to become the first Saudi Arabian woman to go on a mission to space in May 2023.
Barnawi earned her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Otago, New Zealand, and has a master’s degree in biomedical sciences from Saudi Arabia.
With nine years of experience in breast cancer and stem-cell cancer research, she is an accomplished scientist who is making history with her upcoming mission.
She will also be the first Muslim female astronaut to fly to space on a 10-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
Al-Qarni said: “The fact is that our mission as the first Saudi astronauts to visit the International Space Station would not have been possible without the support of our wise leadership.”