Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi to speak with UAE public during live calls from ISS

First session will be held at the Dubai Opera on March 21 and tickets can be booked online

Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi at the International Space Station. Photo: MBRSC

Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi will take questions from the UAE public during a series of live calls from the International Space Station.

The calls will take place at various venues across all seven emirates.

The first will be at the Dubai Opera on Tuesday, the emirate's media office said on Friday.

Doors will open at 2pm while the call, in Arabic, will begin at 2.30pm, with headphones provided for an English translation.

“Seats are limited and interested individuals can book their place through the link: A Call With Space,” the media office said.

People are advised to book their seats using this link — https://www.dubaiopera.com/events/a-call-with-space.

Tickets will cost Dh25 for adults and Dh15 for those under 17 while children under the age of two will not be allowed.

The call will offer people the chance to connect with Dr Al Neyadi, 41, who is on the Arab world's longest space mission, and ask about life on the ISS, including his day-to-day activities, scientific research in microgravity and the challenges of living in space.

Salem Al Marri, director general of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, said: “By sharing Sultan’s journey into space, we aim to inspire not only the next generation of space enthusiasts but also the wider community.

“Through such events, we hope to ignite a lifelong passion for space exploration and foster a culture of curiosity, innovation and exploration in the UAE.

“We aim to encourage young minds to dream big and pursue their ambitions in the realm of space and beyond.”

Dr Al Neyadi is the second Emirati to travel to space and the second Arab to board the ISS.

During his time there, he will take part in more than 200 experiments assigned by Nasa and 19 involving UAE universities.

Dr Al Neyadi's mission comes after five years of rigorous training around the world.

He was one of two astronauts chosen by the UAE in 2018, alongside Hazza Al Mansouri, who became the first Emirati in space the following year.

Dr Al Neyadi trained in Russia, parts of Europe and Canada, and completed Nasa’s basic training programme in Houston, Texas. He also underwent mission-specific training for this trip.

He has learnt to speak Russian, spent hours each day in space simulators to familiarise his body with the effects of microgravity, trained to fly supersonic jets and completed spacewalk training.

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