![]() One of them involves studying the behavior of stem cells in zero gravity. The four-member team is set to carry out some 20 experiments while on the ISS. The kingdom established the Saudi Space Commission in 2018 and launched a program last year to send astronauts into space. ![]() In 1985, Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, an air force pilot, took part in a US-organized space voyage.īut the space mission involving a Saudi woman is the latest move by the oil-rich Gulf kingdom, where women only gained the right to drive a few years ago, to revamp its ultraconservative image. The mission is not Saudi Arabia's first foray into space. "It is a great opportunity for me to pursue this kind of passion that I have, and now maybe just fly among the stars." "Being able to see their faces when they see astronauts from their own region for the first time is very thrilling," she said.Ī career fighter pilot, Al-Qarni said he has "always had the passion of exploring the unknown and just admiring the sky and the stars." She added that, aside from excitement for the research she will carry out on board, she was looking forward to sharing her experience with kids while on the ISS. "Being the first Saudi woman astronaut, representing the region, it's a great pleasure and honor that I'm very happy to carry," said Barnawi at a recent press conference. The crew is due to spend around 10 days on board the ISS, where they should arrive around 9:25 am Monday. Have a great trip on Dragon," he added, referring to the spacecraft. "Thanks for putting your trust in the Falcon 9 team," SpaceX chief enginer Bill Gerstenmaier told the crew minutes after lift-off. The team also includes Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut who will be making her fourth flight to the ISS, and John Shoffner, a businessman from Tennessee who is serving as pilot. The Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) crew took off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in the southern US state of Florida at 5:37 pm (2137 GMT). Saudis Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni are accompanied by two other crew members: former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson and American entrepreneur John Shoffner. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket roared into the sky from Kennedy Space Center on Florida's east coast on a mission organized by Axiom Space company.
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