Saudi to send its first female astronaut to space this year

Saudi Arabia has announced that it will be sending its first female astronaut, Rayyanah Barnawi, to the International Space Station (ISS) during the second quarter of 2023.

تعرّف على رائدة الفضاء: ريّانة برناوي
السعودية #نحو_الفضاء

Meet the astronaut: Rayyanah Barnawi
Saudi Arabia Towards Space pic.twitter.com/o5qMWYJUwF

— الهيئة السعودية للفضاء (@saudispace) February 12, 2023

Barnawi will be accompanied by a male astronaut, Ali Al Qarni.

تعرّف على رائد الفضاء: علي القرني
السعودية #نحو_الفضاء

Meet the astronaut: Ali AlQarni
Saudi Arabia Towards Space pic.twitter.com/95G2CcVVzv

— الهيئة السعودية للفضاء (@saudispace) February 12, 2023

The voyage aims to empower national capabilities in human spaceflight as well as contribute to scientific research across verticals such as health, sustainability, and space technology, Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

“Every journey has its pioneers, and every mission has its heroes,” a tweet from the Saudi Space Commission read.

Know more about the first mission of the Kingdom’s Astronaut Program.
It is a mission in which we conduct experiments and research for humanity and reflect the aspiration of every citizen on the land of this country.
Saudi Arabia Towards Space 🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/Ur2UxlbQrb

— الهيئة السعودية للفضاء (@saudispace) February 12, 2023

Two more astronauts, Mariam Fardous and Ali Al Gamdi, will also be trained on all mission requirements.

Through this program, Saudi Arabia seeks to activate scientific innovations at the level of space sciences, enhance its ability to independently conduct its own research, increase the interest of graduates in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and develop human capital by attracting talents and the necessary skills, the report added.

The commission added that the space program comes in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Sport, the General Authority of Civil Aviation and King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, in addition to international partners such as Axiom Space.

In 2021, the UAE also selected its first female astronaut – Nora AlMatrooshi – as part of the second batch of the UAE Astronaut Programme.

Read: UAE selects first female Arab astronaut

Meanwhile, UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi will head to the ISS this month.  Al Neyadi and Hazzaa Al Mansoori were the first astronauts to be selected in the country’s astronaut programme.

Read: UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi to travel to space on February 26