Sultan Al Neyadi shows off blob of water in space in fascinating video

Emirati astronaut shares remarkable recording of how liquid takes shape in a zero-gravity environment

Sultan Al Neyadi demonstrates how water is used on board the International Space Station. Photo: Dubai Media Office

The UAE's Sultan Al Neyadi has learnt to go with the flow on board the International Space Station — including adapting to a whole new way of using water.

The Emirati astronaut shared a remarkable video on Friday showing how the precious liquid takes shape in a zero-gravity environment.

The father-of-six from Al Ain is shown in the social media post squeezing water out of a straw, which then forms into a sphere.

He is able to grasp the large blob of water, which wraps around his hand, before he finally bursts the bubble with the help of a hand cloth.

As water does not flow freely in the zero-gravity environment of the ISS, installing a shower, tap or sink would be pointless, as the water would float away in the form of droplets.

Instead, Dr Al Neyadi uses a wet towel containing body wash to clean himself.

To wash his hair, he has to apply shampoo without water and wipe it off with a dry towel.

To brush his teeth, he is able to squeeze small amounts of water through a straw to rinse and then swallow.

In April, he revealed how water is used to create the clean air that circulates through the space station.

“Water is a precious resource in space,” Dr Al Neyadi wrote on Twitter in a message accompanied by pictures of him working on a water recycling tank.

“It is used to create clean air by separating oxygen from hydrogen, and it is also recycled to provide a continuous supply of clean water.

“In these photos, I'm working on the tank that recycles water, while wearing a PPE kit to prevent contamination.

“Ensuring a well-maintained life support system is a key task for astronauts, particularly during long-duration missions.”

The history-making space traveller has offered the public regular glimpses of life aboard the floating science laboratory since embarking on his six-month mission on March 3.

Earlier this week, he took part in a live call with space enthusiasts in Mauritius.

It was the first live video call outside of the UAE under Dr Al Neyadi's A Call From Space initiative, in which he answers questions from heads of states, pupils and space enthusiasts.

He told Eddy Boissezon, acting president of Mauritius, that carrying out the first spacewalk by an Arab astronaut “was a great responsibility” and that he was proud to have completed it successfully.

The astronaut completed his first spacewalk on April 28, when he stepped outside of the space station for a seven-hour maintenance assignment.

Sultan Al Neyadi in space - in pictures