UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi is set to conduct the first spacewalk in Arab history on Friday, April 28. The astronaut will begin the feat from the International Space Station (ISS) at 5:15 PM GST.
For those who want to witness this historic mission live, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre will be live streaming the event on www.mbrsc.ae/live
The live coverage will begin on April 28 at 4:30 PM GST.
On Wednesday, Al Neyadi posted a video to his official Twitter account detailing to space enthusiasts the process of preparing for a spacewalk.
The astronaut will be geared up in a 145-kilogram spacesuit that is meant to protect the wearer from the extremities of outer space.
A spacewalk, according to NASA, is the duration that the astronaut leaves the space station, also called an EVA which stands for extra vehicular activity.
The first spacewalk took place on March 18, 1965. It was 10 minutes long.
Al Neyadi is set to perform a spacewalk that is expected to last for over six hours.
“Spacewalks usually last between five and eight hours, depending on the job,” NASA details.
Inside the spacesuit
NASA has two types of spacesuits: one worn by the astronaut during the time of launch and descent, the other for spacewalks in space.
NASA calls the spacewalk suit an EVA (extra vehicular activity) suit.
The spacesuit is designed to protect the astronaut from the dangers of the mission including protecting the astronaut’s face from space, dust, debris and extreme heat or cold. Temperatures in space could range from 121 degrees Celsius cold in the night or 121 degrees Celsius during sunlight hours.
The suits also provide oxygen for breathing and water for hydration.
The two main parts of a spacewalk spacesuit are the pressure garment and the life support system.
The announcement of Al Neyadi’s spacewalk was made earlier this month via Twitter. Sheikh Hamdan, Crowne Prince of Dubai said, “Inspired by Zayed’s ambitions, today our ambassador to space @Astro_Alneyadi is preparing for the first spacewalk by an Arab astronaut on 28 April. This will make the UAE the 10th country to undertake Extravehicular Activity (EVA) on the @Space_Station.”
Before the UAE’s spacewalk, scheduled for April 28, only nine other countries have taken a spacewalk at the ISS:
- USA
- Russia
- Canada
- France
- Japan
- Germany
- Sweden
- Italy
- UK
Sultan Al Neyadi will make history for Arab nations by making the walk for UAE.
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