DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates’ first astronaut, Hazzaa Al-Mansoori, is returning to Earth on Thursday after spending eight days in space.

Al-Mansoori, who was the first Emirati and Arab to dock on the International Space Station (ISS), entered the Soyuz MS-12 crew ship with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian commander Alexey Ovchinin early on Thursday to prepare for their trip back to Earth.

They are expected to land at around 2 p.m. (KSA time) on the south east of the remote town of Khezqazghan, in Kazakhstan.

According to NASA, the crew will go through medical procedures immediately after landing, before a helicopter takes them to Kazakhstan’s Karaganda Airport.

Al-Mansoori will join the UAE Astronaut Programme Team from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) for post-mission medical check-ups until mid-October in Moscow.

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