SpaceX launches Saudi astronauts, including nation’s 1st woman, to space station
Saudi Arabian Astronauts Rocket to the International Space Station
On Sunday, Saudi Arabia sent its first astronauts to the International Space Station on a chartered SpaceX flight costing millions of dollars. The ticket-holding crew, led by a retired NASA astronaut now working for the company that arranged the trip, includes a U.S. businessman who owns a sports car racing team. The four are expected to reach the space station on Monday morning and stay there for just over a week before returning home with a splashdown off the Florida coast.
Sponsored by the Saudi Arabian government, stem cell researcher Rayyanah Barnawi became the first woman from the kingdom to go to space, joined by Ali al-Qarni, a fighter pilot with the Royal Saudi Air Force. They’re the first from their country to ride a rocket since a Saudi prince launched aboard shuttle Discovery in 1985. In an interesting turn of events, they will be greeted on the space station by an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates.
John Shoffner, a former driver and owner of a sports car racing team that competes in Europe, and Peggy Whitson, the station’s first female commander who holds the U.S. record for most accumulated time in space, are also part of the visiting crew.
This is the second private flight to the space station organized by Houston-based Axiom Space, following their first flight last year with three businessmen and another retired NASA astronaut. The company aims to start adding its own rooms to the station in a few years and eventually removing them to form a stand-alone outpost that is available for rent.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
What is the mission of the Saudi Arabian astronauts?
The Saudi Arabian astronauts are heading to the International Space Station as part of their government-sponsored mission. They will spend just over a week there before returning home with a splashdown off the Florida coast.
Who are the Saudi Arabian astronauts?
The Saudi Arabian astronauts include stem cell researcher Rayyanah Barnawi, the first woman from the kingdom to go to space, and fighter pilot Ali al-Qarni.
What is the purpose of Axiom Space’s flights to the space station?
Axiom Space’s flights to the space station aim to provide opportunities for private citizens to go to space and conduct experiments, photograph Earth, and chat with schoolchildren back home. The company ultimately plans to start adding its own rooms to the station in a few years and eventually remove them to form a stand-alone outpost that is available for rent.
What is the cost of the chartered SpaceX flight to the International Space Station?
Axiom Space has not disclosed how much Shoffner and Saudi Arabia are paying for the planned 10-day mission. The company had previously cited a ticket price of $55 million each.
What are the charges for visiting the International Space Station?
NASA’s latest price list shows per-person, per-day charges of $2,000 for food and up to $1,500 for sleeping bags and other gear. The fee for trashing the items afterward is roughly $10,000 per pound ($20,000 per kilogram), the same cost for getting items to the space station in advance. Double this cost if you need your items back intact.
Saudi Astronauts, Including Country’s First Woman, Sent to Space Station by SpaceX Launch
Saudi Arabia’s first astronauts in decades have launched on a multimillion-dollar, chartered flight aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule for a week-long mission to the International Space Station. The crew, which includes a retired NASA astronaut, a US businessman, a stem cell researcher, and a fighter pilot with the Royal Saudi Air Force, is sponsored by the Saudi Arabian government. Rayyanah Barnawi, the stem cell researcher, is the first woman from Saudi Arabia to go to space, and she and her fellow astronauts will be greeted at the station by an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates. The mission is the second private flight organised by Axiom Space, which plans to add its own rooms to the station in the next few years. NASA now embraces space tourism, with two private missions planned a year.