A Brighton graduate will make history as the first Arab astronaut to take part in a long duration space mission.
Sultan Al Neyadi will launch into orbit on Sunday (26 February) as part of a NASA / SpaceX crew bound for a six-month stay on the International Space Station (ISS).
The astronaut is due to be involved in around 20 experiments on board the ISS and has also revealed that he will observe Ramadan while in space.
Dr Al Neyadi, 41, said that he “felt ready and excited”, with the launch scheduled for 7.07am GMT on Sunday on a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre, in Florida, in the United States.
At a recent NASA media briefing he said: “Just the idea of waking up every morning and having access to a window you can see and scan the whole world from in 90 minutes is amazing.
“It’s going to be a busy schedule in terms of science and doing all sorts of cool stuff.
“We are subjects ourselves and we’ll have a lot of sensors on us when we do experiments, when we go to sleep.”
Dr Al Neyadi graduated with a degree in electronics and communications engineering from Brighton University in 2004 before studying for his masters in the United Arab Emirates and a doctorate in Australia.
He beat more than 4,000 candidates to enter the UAE astronaut programme at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, in Dubai, and has trained in Houston for the past three years with NASA.
Brighton University vice-chancellor Debra Humphris said: “This is a rare and wonderful achievement by Sultan – and one that reflects a huge amount of dedication and hard work.
“On behalf of everyone at the University of Brighton, we wish him the best of luck for his mission aboard the International Space Station.”
Professor Humphris added: “I’m incredibly proud to know that our university played an important role in his journey and we look forward to hearing about his exploits when he returns.”
The launch broadcast is due to start on NASA TV at 3.30am on Sunday and on the agency’s website.
