Saudi Arabia’s first astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni have successfully reached the International Space Station.
Barnawi, a scientist and the first Saudi woman to venture into space, along with Al-Qarni, a trained fighter pilot, traveled to the space station on board the SpaceX Dragon capsule. Accompanying them were astronaut Peggy Whitson and business pioneer and pilot John Shoffner.
Upon their arrival, they were warmly greeted by the seven astronauts already present on the space station, including Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi.
“This is a dream come true for everyone,” Barnawi said before the flight. “Just being able to understand that this is possible. If me and Ali can do it, then they can do it, too.”
Meanwhile, Al-Qarni mentioned that they will be conducting “scientific experiments that will benefit humanity” during their stay in space. Their goal is to carry out 20 research projects, including 14 projects developed by Saudi scientists. These projects encompass various fields such as human physiology, cell biology, and technology development.
Mission commander Whitson, a former NASA astronaut with three previous voyages to her credit, described the journey as delightful, stating, “It was a smooth docking, the gentlest I have ever experienced.”
The private Ax-2 mission commenced on Sunday, with the Dragon spacecraft launching atop a SpaceX rocket. This mission marks the second fully private mission to visit the ISS, following the first one in April 2022.
