Dr Sultan Al Neyadi is making headlines across the United Arab Emirates, the Arab press and around the world. 26 February 2023 marks the day he and two other astronauts, Stephen Bowen and Warren Hoburg of NASA, as well as Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev are scheduled to fly to the International Space Station on board SpaceX Dragon Crew-6 mission. On this mission, he will become the first Arab astronaut to spend six months in space. He will also become the first University of Brighton student to rocket beyond earth's atmosphere.
How to become an astronaut?
Born and raised in the UAE, Sultan Al Neyadi had ambitions and a truly global perspective on the education he would need. His first fearless steps were arguably the ones that took him beyond his homeland to study in a foreign country. In the early 2000s he became a student in Electronics and Communications Engineering at the University of Brighton, graduating in 2004. His further studies took him back to the UAE where he went on to earn a master's degree in computer engineering. After Zayed Military College, he worked in the UAE Armed Forces as a communications engineer before taking a master's degree and doctorate in Australia.
The big break for Sultan Al Neyadi was to be selected as one of two people from 4,022 candidates to become the first Emirati astronauts, allowing him through training in Russia and onto the UAE Astronaut Programme at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre.
The first Emirati astronaut ever sent into space
In April 2019, Sultan Al Neyadi took off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft - making him the first Emirati astronaut ever sent into space. He then spent six months onboard the International Space Station (ISS), conducting experiments related to human physiology and robotics. His scientific work there also included experiments related to carbon dioxide removal from sealed habitats, as well as maintenance activities on board the ISS.
SpaceX crew-6 mission scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Chosen to become the first Arab astronaut for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sultan Al Neyadi is now set to spend six months at the International Space Station. At his official NASA press conference, he said that he will observe the holy month of Ramadan while in space. The usual practice of fasting between sunrise and sunset will not of course be applicable in orbit around the earth, but Sultan Al Neyadi also has the status of being a traveller, which allows those fasting to avoid health risks while away from home. While observing Ramadan, he is allowed to eat sufficient food without jeopardising the mission. The Dragon Endeavour spacecraft is scheduled to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida in time to reach space before Ramadan starts. During their six-month mission at the ISS, they will then conduct scientific experiments and research.
Inspiration for students everywhere as UAE astronaut takes off 26 February 2023
Sultan Al Neyadi will interact with school students from the UAE during the successful mission as part of a partnership between the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre and the Emirates Literature Foundation. He will also inspire young learners around the globe. Not just those who are dreaming of becoming space explorers or who are wondering how to become an astronaut. He is also an example of how young people across the whole planet can dare to dream - how you can take international paths through education, and where your hard work and dedication can be channelled and focused into great achievements.