A Closer Look: UAE's Sultan Al Neyadi gears up for space mission

A Closer Look is The National's show where we take an in-depth look at one of the main stories of the week.

Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi is only days away from etching his name in the history books as he prepares to blast off for a six-month mission on the International Space Station.

Dr Al Neyadi, 41, is part of Nasa and SpaceX’s Crew-6 flight, scheduled to take off on February 26 from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

It will be the Arab world’s first long-duration journey through space and another major milestone for the UAE's booming space programme, which has its sights firmly set on Mars, the Moon, Jupiter and beyond.

The National's space reporter Sarwat Nasir speaks to host Sarah Forster about the challenges which lie ahead for Dr Al Neyadi and the significance of his achievement for the nation.

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