Twi Saudi astronauts have completed a rigorous nine-month training program for their upcoming mission to the International Space Station (ISS), which is scheduled to launch in May 2023. The mission will be the first of its kind for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and will mark a milestone in its space ambitions.
The Saudi Space Commission (SGG) announced on Wednesday that the two astronauts, Rayyannah Barnawi and Ali AlQarmi, have entered the quarantine period, in preparation for the launch of the scientific research experiments in the microgravity environment, including three educational awareness experiments, during their mission on ISS, which is part of the Kingdom’s astronaut program announced last September as one of the strategic programs of the commission.
The SCC said that the astronauts underwent various training sessions related to experiments that will be conducted on the mission, as well as simulating the conditions of spaceflight, such as the penetration of the Earth’s atmosphere, the effect of gravitational forces, rapid acceleration and they heavy pull of gravity on the human body. They trained on all the equipment and procedures necessary to complete the mission on ISS with Axion Space and SpaceX at the National Space Training and Research Centre (NASTAR) – one of the state-of-the-art flight simulator facilities in Pennsylvanian, US.
The astronauts also underwent training at the NASA Johnson Centre as part of the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) program, which is designed to push people to the extremes and prepare them for their AX-2 mission to the ISS with the objective of inspiring students and those interested in space science, highlighting the importance of research and describing the lives of astronauts and the role of integrative science in improving the quality of life on Earth.
In addition, the astronauts underwent training on expeditionary skills at the SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. The training program included instructing the astronauts on operational programs and operations that would be required aboard the ISS. They also underwent training programs at the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and European Space Agency (ESA) in January and February, and carried out space payload merging exercises in March 2023, training in weightlessness and floating practice, communication skills whilst in orbit, and learning about side effects during spaceflight.
The two astronauts expressed pride in representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in their first sustainable Human Space Flight (HSF) program, thus contributing to realizing the Kingdom’s ambition in the field of space. Both astronauts stressed their enthusiasm and readiness to carry out this mission, as well as their pride and gratitude for being able to represent.
