Ashraf AboArafe
The Saudi Space Authority announced the success of the mission of the two Saudi astronauts, Rayana Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni, with the landing of the spacecraft carrying them and the crew of the “Ax-2” mission, after a distinguished scientific trip on the International Space Station (ISS), which achieved the Kingdom’s efforts to contribute to scientific research that serves humanity. And take advantage of the promising opportunities offered by the space sector and its industries globally, and build national capabilities in the field of manned flights, while this pioneering mission is a milestone for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and a moment of pride for the national and scientific achievements in the space sector.
The authority stated that the spacecraft carrying the two Saudi astronauts, Rayana Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni, landed safely in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, as the Kingdom registered itself among a few countries in which a team carries out space science missions and research trips in orbit around the Earth, as part of the Kingdom’s program for astronauts. outer space.
The landing of the spacecraft slowed down due to its entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, and large umbrellas were used to mitigate the impact, in addition to the use of large airbags, and when the capsule landed in the water, SpaceX boats went to get the astronauts out of it.
The success of the mission and the safe landing of the Saudi flight crew allows it to show the progress of the Kingdom, represented by the Saudi Space Authority, through its commitment to innovation and achieving its goals in pioneering the space economy, through pioneering research, strategic partnerships and advanced education, which is achieved through human spaceflight.
The “Ax-2” mission was launched from Florida on the twenty-first of May, and it was announced that the spacecraft had successfully docked with the International Space Station, about 16 hours after launch, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Launch Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The two Saudi astronauts also succeeded in conducting 14 scientific experiments in space before returning to Earth and landing in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the US state of Florida.
