UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: Sultan Al Neyadi, the astronaut from the United Arab Emirates, has completed his six-month space mission and has finally returned to Earth.
Emirati astronaut AlNeyadi and his Crew-6 members, including NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Woody Hoburg and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, have safely arrived on Earth.
On Monday, September 4, 2023, the Crew-6 safely concluded their journey, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after their departure from the orbiting space laboratory on the International Space Station (ISS) on September 3, 2023. This historic splashdown took place at 8:17 AM UAE time, off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), based in Dubai, has released multiple images and videos showcasing Sultan Al Neyadi’s return journey to his homeland.
After leaving the International Space Station, Sultan Al Neyadi travelled home over the course of seventeen hours. “The Sultan of Space” is seen leaving the Dragon capsule on a sort of gurney in the pictures and videos.
The Crew-6 members were assisted in exiting the capsule once the hatch was opened.
MBRSC director general Salem Al Marri has congratulated Al Neyadi on his safe return to Earth. On X, formerly known as Twitter, he wrote, “Welcome back Sultan! Our joy is indescribable… In these historic 6 months, we have achieved all the strategic goals of this mission. ”
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed also congratulated AlNeyadi on the X platform, saying, “@Astro_AlNeyadi, the people of the UAE are immensely proud of you and the entire team for achieving major advances in space exploration. You carried the dreams of a nation to new frontiers, and we celebrate your pioneering journey and safe return.”
Upon their return to the ground, the four astronauts were met with applause. The Arab astronaut wore a joyful expression, enthusiastically waving and giving a thumbs-up gesture as he exited the spacecraft.
The Crew-6 will now go to Houston, Texas, for medical examinations and to be reunited with their families. The medical examinations, however, can take up to two weeks, according to reports.
The Arab astronaut is scheduled to return to the United Arab Emirates and take part in festivities arranged in his honour.
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