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DUBAI / WAM
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) hosted an exclusive media edition of its ‘A Call With Space’ event, attended by more than 130 attendees from the local and international media at the Museum of the Future.
During the event, media representatives had the unique opportunity to engage in a live interaction with astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi, who is currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS), undergoing the longest Arab space mission in history.
The event began with Salem Humaid AlMarri, Director-General of MBRSC, addressing the attendees with a keynote speech, during which he provided insights on the progress of the missions of the centre and future plans. He further highlighted the significance of the media in crafting and highlighting the success story of the UAE in space exploration and scientific research.
Salem AlMarri said, “We are living in a golden age for the Arab space sector. The entire region is anticipating two milestones in the coming weeks — the landing of the Rashid Rover, which is the first Arab lunar mission as well as the first Arab spacewalk set to be undertaken by Sultan AlNeyadi along with Stephen Bowen. These missions are a testament to our nation’s commitment to innovation, research, and development. We are proud of the progress we have made and will continue to push the boundaries of space exploration for the benefit of humanity in collaboration with our partners.â€
Speaking during the live call, astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi spoke about how well he has adjusted to life in space, after being on the ISS for more than 40 days. He further spoke about the scientific experiments he has done till date, including working on heart tissues, diabetes treatment, and 3D printing of knee meniscus. AlNeyadi also spoke about the beauty of the Earth as seen from space and the importance of protecting the planet.
During the event key MBRSC officials also spoke with the media on the updates about the longest Arab space mission in history, Emirates Lunar Mission and other projects. ‘A Call with Space’ will now head to venues across other emirates in the UAE. The next event in the series is scheduled for May.
The UAE Astronaut Programme is one of the projects managed by MBRSC under the UAE’s National Space Programme and funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), which aims to support research and development in the ICT sector in the UAE and promote the country’s integration on the global stage.