UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi is currently participating in a research project aimed at enabling long-term space missions. The study, known as the Materials International Space Station Experiment (Misse), involves testing different spacecraft hardware materials that could be utilized in future long-duration space missions. The research is particularly important as space agencies are looking to send humans to the Moon and eventually to Mars.
Together with his NASA colleague Stephen Bowen, Dr Al Neyadi retrieved hardware from the airlock of a Japanese module on the International Space Station that had been exposed to microgravity. This hardware contains a variety of materials that will be studied to better understand how extreme temperatures, radiation, and micrometeoroids affect materials, coatings, and components.
Misse allows both government and private sectors to examine and develop better designs for space hardware, which will promote long-term mission success. Dr Al Neyadi, who arrived at the space station on March 3, will be supporting his American colleagues with over 200 experiments and conducting 19 other experiments assigned to him by UAE universities.
Another recent science investigation by Dr Al Neyadi involved testing technology that 3D-prints knee cartilage tissue in space. The BioFabrication Facility, which is portable, could enable doctors to treat injuries in space and remote locations on Earth in the future. Last week, he installed a tissue cassette with knee meniscus cells into the facility to observe how it worked.
Since its inception over 20 years ago, the International Space Station has been utilized for various science experiments to improve daily life on Earth, such as vaccine development, water purification, and improving baby formulas.
In preparation for the first spacewalk by an Arab astronaut, which is scheduled for April 28, Dr Al Neyadi is currently training with Mr Bowen. They will replace communication hardware placed on the station’s exterior during a six-and-a-half-hour assignment. This will mark the first time an astronaut from a non-ISS partner country has performed an extravehicular activity. Being chosen as the first Arab astronaut to undertake a spacewalk is a great honour and responsibility, and Dr Al Neyadi is excited to represent his country and continue the exceptional journey started by generations of astronauts before him.
