Saudi Arabia to send its 1st female astronaut to space this year

Tags: Science and Technology International News

Saudi Arabia's first female astronaut is set to go into space this year, in what is seen as a move to reform Saudi Arabia's ultra-conservative image.

An overview of the news

• Saudi female astronaut Rayna Barnawi will join Saudi Ali Al-Qarni on a 10-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) this year.

• Barnawi and al-Karni will fly to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft as part of a mission by American privately funded space infrastructure developer private space company Axiom Space .

• The Ax-2 will be launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, America.

• Another fellow Emirati, Sultan Al-Neyadi will also visit the space station at the end of February 2023.

• Axiom Space launched its first private astronaut mission to the ISS in April 2022, with four private astronauts spending 17 days in space orbit.

• In 2019, Saudi Arabia's neighbouring United Arab Emirates became the first Arab country to send a citizen into space. Astronaut Hazza al-Mansoori spent eight days on the ISS.

• In 1985, Saudi royal prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz participated in a US-organised space mission, becoming the first Arab Muslim to travel in space.

Saudi Arabia 

• King - Salman

• Capital - Riyadh

• Currency - Saudi Arabian riyal

• Official Language    - Arabic

• Official Religion - Islam