Sultan Al Neyadi halfway through historic six-month space mission

From a momentous spacewalk to unique birthday celebrations, the Emirati astronaut has enjoyed a remarkable journey so far

Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi does a live call with his hometown Al Ain from the International Space Station on his birthday on May 23. All photos: Ryan Lim / The National

Hundreds of space enthusiasts attended the event in Al Ain

The event was part of Dr Al Neyadi's 'A Call from Space' initiative

Dr Al Neyadi said he misses his mother's cooking

Dr Al Neyadi took off for the ISS on March 3 for a six-month mission

The astronaut spoke about life on the ISS

This was the fourth instalment of A Call from Space

Entertainment in Al Ain during the live call from Dr Al Neyadi

Pupils showed up dressed as astronauts

Pupils hold Suhail, the space mascot of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre

Another pupil dressed as an astronaut at the live call event

UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi has completed half of his history-making six-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Dr Al Neyadi, 42, arrived at the orbiting outpost on March 3 to carry out the Arab world's first long-duration space mission.

In his three months in orbit, he has become the first Arab to perform a spacewalk, carried out crucial science investigations for researchers around the world and conducted several live calls with pupils and space enthusiasts.

Salem Al Marri, director-general of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre that oversees the country's astronaut programme, congratulated Dr Al Neyadi on the milestone.

Achievements to inspire future generations

“The dedication, resilience, and strength Sultan has demonstrated in consistently achieving one milestone after another truly reflect the calibre of astronauts we cultivate here in the UAE,” he said.

“He represents the core values of the MBRSC by consistently focusing on knowledge-building initiatives for the next generation and we appreciate his commitment towards the community and student outreach.

“As we look forward to the next three months, we are confident his journey will continue to make us proud and inspire future explorations.”

The first spacewalk by an Arab astronaut

The landmark moment of Dr Al Neyadi's mission has been his seven-hour spacewalk outside of the ISS.

He left the comfort of the science laboratory with American colleague Stephen Bowen to carry out maintenance tasks, including prepping an area for a future solar array installation.

Relocating the Dragon capsule

Not long after the historic spacewalk, Dr Al Neyadi had to exit the space station once more, to relocate the Dragon craft that he and his colleagues travelled in.

The relocation helped free up a docking port of the ISS for the Axiom 2 crew members, which included two Saudi astronauts, and a cargo spacecraft that is arriving this month.

Dr Al Neyadi assisted Mr Bowen and his colleagues during the relocation mission.

Science work on the ISS

Dr Al Neyadi is participating in more than 200 experiments assigned to him and his colleagues by Nasa and 19 others given to him by UAE universities.

Some of his research work so far has involved life sciences, including wearing a bio-monitor vest and headband, to allow scientists on the ground to monitor his cardiovascular system while he works in microgravity.

The research would help scientists study the effects of microgravity on a human heart, and potentially help create therapies for heart diseases.

Dr Al Neyadi also assisted Saudi astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi with a space biology experiment.

The two Arab astronauts treated human cell samples and studied their inflammatory response to microgravity.

Dr Al Neyadi has participated in several human research activities, including ultrasound scans, vision checks, and hearing exams.

Celebrated his birthday in space

Dr Al Neyadi celebrated his 42nd birthday aboard the space station.

His colleagues surprised him with a birthday cake and other treats.

“Celebrated my first birthday in space with colleagues who have become family” Dr Al Neyadi tweeted on May 23, with images of the party.

“Highlight of the day? A maple muffin top cake from the USA crew, a cinnamon bun with yoghurt and dry fruits from the Russian crew, topped off with wishes in Arabic.

“Truly a gravity-defying celebration!”

What's next?

Dr Al Neyadi is due to return to Earth in late August.

He will spend the remaining time completing his scientific investigations and carrying out live calls with space enthusiasts on Earth as part of his outreach efforts.