A Closer Look: Saudi astronauts, UAE asteroid belt missions and Chinese civilians in space



A Closer Look sees The National take an in-depth look at one of the main stories of the week.

It has been a big week in the realm of space exploration, especially for the Middle East.

Two Saudi astronauts have splash landed back to Earth after eight days in space, while the UAE's Sultan Al Neyadi continues his stay aboard the International Space Station until August.

Meanwhile, the Emirates announced the details of its 2028 asteroid belt mission this week, which involves sending an autonomous spacecraft to a location between Mars and Jupiter.

To top it off, China sent its first civilian into space on Tuesday.

Host Sarah Forster speaks to The National's space editor Sarwat Nasir to find out more.

Read more

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Saudi astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi floating inside the International Space Station after she and her colleague Ali Al Qarni's arrived on May 22. All photos: SpaceX
Updated: March 06, 2024, 8:06 AM

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