Excitement and inspiration are brewing among UAE students as two major space events unfold this weekend. The first event is the homecoming of UAE astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi after spending six months conducting experiments and maintenance work aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The second event is India’s launch of the Aditya-L1 mission, its inaugural solar mission aimed at studying the Sun. These historic moments are not only a source of pride for UAE students but also a catalyst for their growing interest in space and the sciences.
Sultan AlNeyadi, the first Arab astronaut to complete a historic spacewalk outside the ISS, is scheduled to return home on Sunday, September 3, following a one-day delay due to unfavorable weather conditions near the splashdown sites off the coast of Florida. His remarkable journey and achievements have captured the imagination of young minds in the UAE.
One young space enthusiast, six-year-old Ali Hassan, a student at the American International School in Abu Dhabi, expressed his passion for space and his aspirations to work for a space agency one day. Ali eagerly awaits Sultan AlNeyadi’s return and plans to watch the live broadcast with his family. He shared his enthusiasm, saying, “I am counting down until the big return of Sultan so that my family and I can watch him live coming back to Earth. In our school, we were told about Sultan Al Neyadi and that he went to space. I am really interested in learning more about space. I will be watching his return on the computer. I plan to sit and watch it with my older siblings, Rovan and Lina.”
The second significant space event unfolding this weekend is India’s Aditya-L1 mission, the country’s maiden solar mission designed to study the Sun. The launch is scheduled for today, September 2, from the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh. India’s successful Chandrayaan-3 mission, which achieved a soft landing on the Moon, has further fueled the excitement and interest of UAE students in space exploration and the sciences.
These historic moments serve as a reminder of the boundless possibilities in the field of space exploration and inspire the younger generation to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The pride felt by UAE students in witnessing the accomplishments of astronauts like Sultan AlNeyadi and India’s achievements in space missions is a testament to the power of scientific discovery and exploration to inspire future generations.
