SpaceX launches two Saudi astronauts to space station

Robert Besser
25 May 2023, 20:57 GMT+10

Saudi Arabia's first astronauts in decades traveled to the ISS on a chartered multimillion-dollar flight aboard a SpaceX rocket from Kennedy Space Center in the US
The ticket-holding crew was led by a retired NASA astronaut now working for SpaceX, as well as a US businessman who owns a sports car racing team
Sponsored by the Saudi government, stem cell researcher Rayyanah Barnawi became the first woman from Saudi Arabia to travel to space

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida: Saudi Arabia's first astronauts in decades traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) on a chartered multimillion-dollar flight aboard a SpaceX rocket from Kennedy Space Center in the US.

The ticket-holding crew was led by a retired NASA astronaut now working for SpaceX, as well as a US businessman who owns a sports car racing team.

Sponsored by the Saudi government, stem cell researcher Rayyanah Barnawi became the first woman from Saudi Arabia to travel to space, joined by fighter pilot Ali al-Qarni from the Royal Saudi Air Force.

They will be greeted at the space station by an astronaut from the UAE.

The four-man crew will spend just over a week on the space station before returning to Earth, splashing down off the Florida coast.

"Hello from outer space! It feels amazing to be viewing Earth from this capsule," Barnawi said.

"As I look outside into space, I cannot help but think this is just the beginning of a great journey for all of us," al-Qarni added.

Also on the flight are Knoxville, Tennessee's John Shoffner, former driver and owner of a sports car racing team, and Peggy Whitson, the station's first female commander who holds the US record for most accumulated time in space, at 665 days.

The flight is the second private flight to the space station organized by Houston-based Axiom Space, following a trip last year by three businessmen and another retired NASA astronaut.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to BC Post.

More Information

11 ℃

Light Rain in Victoria

International

Section

In first, tax funding to be used by Oklahoma Catholic school

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma: An Oklahoma school board has approved the application of the Catholic Church to establish the first religious ...

Elon Musk hosts video interview of Democratic candidate RFK Jr.

NEW YORK CITY, New York: In his second Twitter Spaces event for a 2024 White House candidate, Elon Musk hosted ...

Amtrak nearly at pre-COVID-19 ridership levels, says official

WASHINGTON D.C.: Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said this week that despite projected losses of $800 million for the current budget ...

US to pay $570 million to eliminate dangerous rail sites

WASHINGTON D.C.: The Biden administration has announced that it is providing grants worth $570 million to eliminate many dangerous railroad ...

No confirmation, as reports say King Charles going to France in fall

PARIS, France: According to a report by BFM TV, Britain's King Charles is considering a visit to France in September, ...

US to get tough as drone disrupts Pittsburgh airport

WASHINGTON D.C.: The Federal Aviation Administration has said that a drone sighting disrupted some flights at Pittsburgh International Airport this ...

Sports

Section