SAUDI'S FIRST Rayyanah Barnawi, Saudi Arabia's first female astronaut to be sent this year to the International Space Station. (Screengrabbed from Saudi Space Commission Twitter account)
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia announced Sunday that it will send its first female astronaut to the International Space Station during the second quarter of this year.
In a statement, the Saudi Space Commission said it will send its first female astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi, and Ali AlQarni to join the crew of the AX-2 space mission, which aimed at “empowering national capabilities in human spaceflight geared towards serving humanity and benefiting from the promising opportunities offered by the space industry.”
“The spaceflight is scheduled to launch from the USA to the International Space Station,” the statement said.
According to the space commission, the Saudi Human Spaceflight Program includes the training of two more astronauts -- Mariam Fardous and Ali AlGamdi -- on all mission requirements.
Gulf countries have recently shown a growing interest in space exploration.
In December 2022, the Emirati space explorer Rashid Rover set off towards the Moon on a Japanese spacecraft on a 5-month journey.
In September 2022, the Saudi Space Commission launched the kingdom's program for astronauts, aiming at qualifying Saudi cadres for long- and short-term space flights, and participating in scientific experiments, international research, and future space-related missions. (Anadolu)
