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I would love to go to the moon, says UAE astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi
After landing at Abu Dhabi International Airport, AlNeyadi says he would love to go to the moon and to Mars, if possible
Sultan AlNeyadi attends a press conference in Abu Dhabi. — Photo by Rahul Gajjar
Once an astronaut, always an astronaut.
The UAE astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi’s feelings are no different as he wants to explore space far and beyond after his historic mission.
The Sultan of Space returned to Earth from his six-month journey to the International Space Station earlier this year. Following an initial rehabilitation process, the Emirati astronaut returned to a hero’s welcome to his homeland on Monday. And, the Sultan of Space is ready to embark on the next space mission.
“Honestly, I see myself as a ready astronaut to go on any mission. Personally, I would love to go to the moon and to Mars, if possible. I don’t think it is going to happen sooner to Mars. The lunar is closer to accessible,” AlNeyadi said during a press briefing after his landing at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
“Our first mission was in 2019 and it’s now 2023 … There may be journeys to the Moon or the International Space Station (ISS) and we are ready for any journey,” he said.
Recalling his first meeting with AlNeyadi on return from space, Salem Al Marri, Director-General, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), earlier revealed that the astronaut said: “We need to go to the Moon.”
This shows the UAE astronauts have a great passion for exploring space and are ready for the next endeavour.
Currently, the UAE is working on a second attempt to land a rover on the Moon. In the first attempt, Japan’s ispace lost contact with its Hakuto-R Mission 1 spacecraft, carrying the UAE’s Rashid rover just before the touchdown.
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