UAE's Sultan Al-Neyadi becomes first Arab astronaut to walk in space

Sultan Al-Neyadi who hails from the United Arab Emirates has become the first Arab astronaut to walk in space as part of a space mission named 'Expedition 69'.

Sultan Al-Neyadi who hails from the United Arab Emirates has become the first Arab astronaut to walk in space as part of a space mission named 'Expedition 69'. The astronaut ventured out from the International Space Station (ISS) and completed his spacewalk.

The spacewalk lasted 7.01 hours in the vacuum of space on the starboard side of the ISS' truss structure, accomplishing two key objectives.

Prior to embarking on their spacewalk, Al-Neyadi and Bowen underwent a two-hour oxygen purge to eliminate nitrogen from their bodies.

It took both Al-Neyadi and Bowen an additional hour to put on their spacesuits and safety gear before entering the airlock to gradually reduce the pressure to a safe level for opening the exterior hatch.

Prior to the spacewalk, a thorough set of checks were conducted to ensure the safety of the astronauts. During their high-altitude walk outside the ISS, Al-Neyadi and Bowen had to contend with two major challenges: radiation and extreme temperatures.

The surrounding environment in space can reach scorching temperatures of up to 120 degrees Celsius in the sunlight and drop as low as -150 degrees Celsius when the sun is out of sight.

While the spacesuit is geared to handle all this, careful management of the suit during the mission was also a task at hand.

Salem Humaid Al-Marri, Director General, Mohammed Bin Rashed Space Centre, commented on the spacewalk and talked about UAE's contribution to the global space community.

"Sultan Al-Neyadi's spacewalk has generated an unprecedented level of excitement and interest within the public, underscoring the immense significance of this mission. This milestone achievement will play a critical role in restoring the International Space Station to its full operational capability, cementing the UAE's position as a leading contributor to the global space community," Al-Marri said.

Al-Neyadi will soon be completing two months in space after launching from Cape Canaveral in Florida with his Crew-6 team members on March 2.

The UAE Astronaut Programme is one of the projects managed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre under the UAE's National Space Programme and funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, which aims to support research and development in the ICT sector in the UAE and promote the country's integration on the global stage.

(With inputs from PTI)