Hazzaa Al Mansoori, the first Emirati astronaut, posted a new photo on social media from space, this time of Mecca.
“An incredible image of Mecca from the @Space_Station” he tweeted on Twitter.
[embed]https://twitter.com/astro_hazzaa/status/1179325050811490305[/embed]
The 35-year-old astronaut took to social media to post breathtaking images from the International Space Station (ISS) since his mission started on September 25.
The Soyuz spacecraft took off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan carrying Al Mansoori, American Jessica Meir, and Russian Oleg Scribochka.
The journey set off without a slight problem, from the steppes of Kazakhstan at 13:57 GMT, according to scenes broadcast by the Russian space agency “Roscosmos”.
The 35-year-old astronaut is expected to return to earth tomorrow, Thursday, after spending eight days inside the ISS.
He also shared photos from space of the UAE, and of his Space Centre’s mascot, Suhail, floating inside the space station.
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[embed]https://twitter.com/astro_hazzaa/status/1179097620477874176[/embed]
Al Mansoori also retweeted from the official Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre account of him carrying out an experiment to study “time perception in microgravity.”
[embed]https://twitter.com/MBRSpaceCentre/status/1179062644776550402[/embed]
Hazzaa Al Mansoori
Al Mansoori was born on 13 December 1983 in the Abu Dhabi suburb of Al Wathba.
During his childhood, he loved exploring and watching stars and meteors on dark nights in the desert of Liwa, where he spent most of his early life. He dreamed of being a pilot and loved to read about airplanes and space trips.
In 2004, Al Mansoori graduated from Khalifa bin Zayed Air College, with a Bachelor’s degree in aviation.
On 6 December 2017, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum wrote on his official page on social network “Twitter”, inviting young Emiratis to register for the UAE Astronaut Programme through the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre.
Al Mansoori was one of two people selected from 4,022 candidates, after successfully passing a series of tests in the UAE and Russia.
The 35-year-old’s participation in the mission allows the UAE to join Saudi Arabia and Syria, the only Arab countries to send an astronaut on a mission in 1985 and 1987.
The pilot became the first Arab astronaut to descend on the International Space Station.
The young man— who did not confirm his participation in this trip until very late— expressed his great honor and pride in joining this mission, which arouses great enthusiasm in the UAE.
During the traditional press conference on the eve of the takeoff, he stated that he seeks to “achieve this mission successfully” and to return from it “with ample information.”
“The dream has come true,” Al Mansoori said, noting that he would share his daily prayers with the Earth.
To mark the country’s “Year of Tolerance”, his space kit will include 30 Al Ghaf tree seeds that would be planted across the UAE after their return from space.
“A few hours before launch and I’m filled with this indescribable feeling of glory and awe. Today I carry the dreams and ambition of my country to a whole new dimension. May Allah grant me success in this mission,” he tweeted a few hours before flying off.
[embed]https://twitter.com/astro_hazzaa/status/1176821479264141314[/embed]
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