Saudi Arabia to send first woman astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi to International Space Station

Dubai: Saudi Arabia will be sending the first Saudi woman astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi and a Saudi male astronaut Ali AlQarni to the International Space Station (ISS). The Kingdom announced this on Sunday saying that the astronauts will be sent during the second quarter of 2023.

#BREAKING: #SaudiArabia announces sending first Saudi female astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi and a Saudi male astronaut Ali AlQarni to the International Space Station in Q2 2023. It will also train two more astronauts Mariam Fardous and Ali AlGhamdi on all mission requirements. pic.twitter.com/iUsrkbZ9m3

— Saudi Gazette (@Saudi_Gazette) February 12, 2023

According to Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the two astronauts will join the crew of the AX-2 space mission.

The mission, set to take off from the United States, is part of the Saudi Human Spaceflight Programme. It aims to empower national capabilities in human spaceflight and contribute to scientific research in various fields, including health, sustainability, and space technology.

It will be a historic moment for the Kingdom, which will become one of the few countries in the world to have two astronauts of the same nationality aboard the ISS.