Emirati astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi expresses his gratitude before highly-anticipated UAE return

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UAE - A couple of days before his highly-anticipated homecoming, UAE astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi expressed his heartfelt thanks to everyone who made his space mission a huge success.

In a one-minute video posted on X (formerly Twitter) by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) on Friday, AlNeyadi said: “Greetings! And this time from Earth."

"Thank you so much everybody for the support. We’re back and it has been an incredible journey going to space — spending six months aboard the ISS (International Space Station)."

“I’m really happy with the achievements we’ve made,” he highlighted, before adding: “It’s only the beginning and hopefully we will continue this journey with other people from the UAE and the region.”

“I’m really grateful. Thank you for all the support and prayers from everybody. Thank you to my family, friends, people of the UAE and the region; Thank you to MBRSC, Nasa, and international partners,” he continued.

Hero’s welcome

A warm hero’s welcome will greet AlNeyadi on his much-awaited return to the UAE on Monday, September 18. He and his Crew-6 colleagues returned to Earth on September 4. They made a splashdown off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, and stayed in Houston for recovery.

AlNeyadi, who made history as the first Arab spacewalker during the course of his six-month stay — the longest-ever Arab space mission — aboard the ISS is expected to engage in a series of roadshows across the country to share his life in space and give valuable insights into his experiments in microgravity.

Mission continues

In his latest video message, AlNeyadi reiterated that UAE’s space mission will continue. He earlier said: “Our mission is just the beginning. The path will be followed by other Arab astronauts from different countries.”

He also previously shared in a separate post before leaving the ISS that it was not a final farewell. “Space, this is not a goodbye. I will see you later, whether on a new mission to the ISS or a farther destination. I thank my beloved country for turning our dreams into achievements and all of you for your trust and affection,” he poignantly said.

Meanwhile, aside from AlNeyadi and Hazza Al Mansoori (the UAE's first astronaut), two more Emirati astronauts — Nora Al Matrooshi and Mohammad Al Mulla — are set to finish their training in early 2024 to join a select group of flight-eligible astronauts ready for future space mission.