WASHINGTON: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) first woman astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni will fly to the International Space Station on Sunday.
NASA said that Rayyanah Barnawi, a breast cancer researcher, along with F-16 pilot Al Qarni, will be part of Axiom Space 2 mission, which will be blasting off on May 21. As per media reports, astronaut Peggy Whiston and pilot John Shoffner will also be part of the mission.
Two Saudi Astronauts Set for Launch to International Space Station
Barnawi and Al Qarni will be the first Saudis to travel toward the International Space Station, and Barnawi will become the first Saudi female to fly in space. She said at a pre-launch press conference “Research has been my passion in life,” .
“I am happy and honored to be here today representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Space Commission as the first Saudi female astronaut fly to the International Space Station (ISS).
She added, “This is a great opportunity for me to represent the Kingdom and this is a dream come true for every person.”
During 8-day stay, Shoffner, Whitson, Barnawi and Al Qarni plan to carry out twenty research projects, fourteen of them developed by Saudi Arabia scientists that range from cell biology to technology development.
