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ANKARA – Saudi Arabia’s first female astronaut will blast off to the International Space Station (ISS) on May 21, Anadolu Agency reported according to US space agency Nasa.
Rayyanah Barnawi, a breast cancer researcher, along with male astronaut Ali AlQarni, will be part of Axiom Mission 2, which will be blasting off no earlier than 5.37pm EDT time on May 21 (5.37am on May 22 Malaysia time), Nasa said.
The 10-day mission was planned to take off from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida today, before the launch was rescheduled to May 21 by Nasa and Axiom Space.
The two Saudi astronauts are expected to join Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, who is on the ISS for a six-month mission.
Nasa astronaut Peggy Whitson and business pioneer and pilot John Shoffner will also be part of the Axiom Space 2 mission. – Bernama, May 8, 2023
