Emirati astronaut says SpaceX’s Crew Dragon mission is ‘start of a new era’

Hazza Al Mansouri said the Nasa space flight with Elon Musk's privately-owned rocket company will be a landmark moment

The UAE's first two astronauts Hazza Al Mansouri (right) and Sultan Al Neyadi, will be joined by two new members as the country's space programme grows. Pawan Singh/ The National

The first manned space mission to blast off from the United States in a decade will be the start of a new era for exploration, the UAE's first astronaut said.

SpaceX - the rocket company owned by tycoon Elon Musk - will send its Crew Dragon shuttle and two Nasa astronauts to the International Space Station on Wednesday.

The mission marks the first time a private company has sent humans to space. Until now, SpaceX has sent goods and supplies to the station with its reusable Falcon rocket and capsules.

Maj Hazza Al Mansouri, the first Arab astronaut to serve on board ISS, wished Nasa veterans Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley well on the launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

"It will open a new gate and opportunities, not just for the US, but the for the world," he said in a streamed webinar session at the weekend.

“All space lovers and astronauts are waiting for that moment. I wish the best of luck to astronaut Bob and astronaut Doug. Hopefully, it will be a successful mission.”

Maj Al Mansouri said the Crew Dragon mission would be a “new milestone that will start a new era in space exploration".

Until recently, the vast majority of space operations were run and funded by governments but private investors and firms are now heavily involved, he said.

“Whether by SpaceX, Boeing or any other private sector [firm], it’s going to be amazing what we will witness in the next decade," he said during the talk with Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE’s Ambassador to the US.

The United States has not sent its own astronauts into space since Nasa's famous black and white Space Shuttle fleet - which launched like a rocket and returned to Earth like a glider - was grounded in 2011.

Since then, it has paid Russia about $86 million for each seat on the three-seat Soyuz space craft under a temporary arrangement.

Maj Al Mansouri blasted off for ISS in a Soyuz spacecraft. For the country’s next space mission, officials are “in talks” with multiple launch providers,

The National

reported previously.

Since then, he has been working with scientists on the experiments from last year's space mission. He also takes part in outreach programmes to inspire future astronauts.

“For researchers and scientists, it’s exciting because it’s the first time they have collected samples from someone from the Arab region," he said.

Maj Al Mansouri conducted 16 experiments on the ISS, mainly focused on the impact of microgravity on the human body.

The next two Emirati astronauts will be revealed next January and will become part of the UAE’s astronaut corps, which also includes Dr Sultan Al Neyadi, the back-up astronaut for the first mission.

All four astronauts will be in the running for the country’s next space mission. Maj Al Mansouri said Dr Al Neyadi and him will continue their training to remain prepared for future space missions.

Maj Al Mansouri said he was keen on another trip to the space station but also expressed his desire to go to the moon.

“As we know, the US is also planning to go back to the moon and stay there. I believe our leadership will push us to be part of that exploration," he said.

"Maybe, we will see our next generation raising the flag on the moon."