24.09.2022
Saudi Arabia plans to launch a training program with the goal of sending its own astronauts, including a woman, into space next year
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Saudi Arabia said Thursday it will launch a training program with the goal of sending its own astronauts, including a woman, into space next year.
The kingdom is actively promoting science and technology as part of its wide-ranging Vision 2030 plan to overhaul its economy and reduce its dependency on oil.
The plan, championed by Saudi Arabia's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also calls for greater integration of women into the workforce of the conservative Muslim country. Saudi Arabia lifted a long-standing ban on women driving in 2018.
“The Saudi Astronaut Program, which is an integral part of the Kingdom’s ambitious Vision 2030, will send Saudi astronauts into space to help better serve humanity,” the Saudi Space Commission said in a statement.
“One of the astronauts will be a Saudi woman, whose mission to space will represent a historical first for the Kingdom.”
The first Arab or Muslim to travel to space was Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan bin Salman, a half-brother of the crown prince and an air force pilot who was part of the seven-member crew of NASA's Discovery mission in 1985. He later served as head of the Saudi Space Commission from 2018 until last year, when he was appointed an adviser to King Salman.
The neighboring United Arab Emirates has the Arab world's leading space program, having launched a probe into Mars' orbit in February 2021. The UAE plans to launch its first lunar rover in November. If the moon mission succeeds, the UAE and Japan, which is providing the lander, would join the ranks of only the U.S., Russia and China as nations that have put a spacecraft on the lunar surface.
Quelle: abc News
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Update: 27.09.2022
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International Astronautical Federation elects first Saudi woman as representative
Mishaal Ashemimry is first Saudi woman to hold a leadership position at IAF
Mishaal Ashemimry , Aerospace Engineer and Founder of Mishaal Aerospace speaking during the Knowledge Summit held at Dubai World Trade Centre, December 2018, Dubai. UAE ( Pawan Singh / The National )
The International Astronautical Federation (IAF) on Sunday announced that Saudi Arabia's representative has been elected as one of the federation's 12 vice presidents.
Aerospace engineer Mishaal Ashemimry is the first Saudi woman to hold a leadership position at the IAF.
She was selected for the because of her vision for the development of the space sector globally, her contribution to the development and consolidation of the federation’s directions, and her role in strengthening the kingdom’s leadership position in the aerospace sector, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The IAF has more than 400 members from 71 countries and is responsible for recommending and supervising the federation's meeting arrangements and preparing the agenda for the plenary sessions of the general assembly.
The federation advances knowledge about space, supporting the development and application of space assets by promoting global co-operation.
Quelle: The National