The first Emirati astronaut set off for the International Space Station
SpaceX’s spacecraft departed for the International Space Station on Thursday, March 2nd, with four astronauts on board, one of whom is the first Arab astronaut heading to the station with this spacecraft.
According to the Associated Press, the Falcon rocket was successfully launched into Earth’s orbit shortly after midnight local time from the Kennedy Space Center in the United States, and the spacecraft carrying the astronauts is expected to reach the International Space Station on Friday.
Two American astronauts and one Russian astronaut are the other three crew members traveling to the International Space Station with the SpaceX Dragon capsule.
More than 80 spectators and special guests from the United Arab Emirates were present at the rocket launch site to witness Sultan Al Neyadi, the second Emirati astronaut, head to space for a six-month research mission at the International Space Station.