His Highness expresses his pride in the capabilities of Emiratis which has enabled the nation to be at the forefront of the global space sector

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), today watched the live launch of the longest Arab space mission in history (Zayed Ambition 2) at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai.

Emirati astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi, along with two NASA astronauts, commenced his mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Thursday morning. The SpaceX Dragon Crew-6 mission was launched at 09.34 am UAE time from the Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission is scheduled to arrive at the ISS on Friday, 3 March, at 10:17 am UAE time.

His Highness dedicated the mission’s achievement to UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; Members of the UAE Supreme Council; and the people of the UAE. His Highness expressed his pride in the capabilities of Emiratis which has enabled the nation to be at the forefront of the global space sector. The mission has been made possible by the unwavering support of the UAE leadership, His Highness noted.

His Highness wished Emirati astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi the best in his mission to the ISS, during which he will conduct various scientific experiments. The launch of the mission heralds a new era of scientific progress for the UAE that will see the nation making significant contributions to shaping a new future for humanity, His Highness said.

HH Sheikh Hamdan was accompanied at MBRSC by His Excellency Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi. Minister of Cabinet Affairs, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Managing Director of the Dubai Future Foundation; His Excellency Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications; His Excellency Talal Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, Vice President, MBRSC; His Excellency Abdulla Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai; and His Excellency Omran Sharaf, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Advanced Science and Technology.

Sultan AlNeyadi is the Mission Specialist of the Crew-6 mission, along with NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen (Spacecraft Commander) and Warren Hoburg (Pilot), and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev (Mission Specialist). Crew-6 is part of Expedition 68/69 to ISS.

During the mission, Sultan AlNeyadi will collaborate with NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) to conduct 19 scientific studies across a wide range of topics. The experiments will cover the areas of cardiovascular and immune system health, back pain, technical demonstrations, epigenetics, fluid science, plant biology, material science, sleep analysis, and radiation.

In addition to the scientific research, the mission also includes educational outreach efforts designed to inspire and engage the next generation of scientists and explorers. The MBRSC is currently funding two research projects from the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), both of which will be included in the Crew-6 mission. The first project will assess how the microgravity environment of spaceflight affects cardio-postural interactions, while the second will investigate dental/oral cells in a simulated microgravity environment on Earth. These projects will engage students and researchers, enabling the development and qualification of future generations of scientists.

The Zayed Ambition 2 Mission is a part of the UAE Astronaut Programme, one of the projects managed by MBRSC under the UAE’s National Space Programme and funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA).