All eyes on historic UAE space mission

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has announced that, in collaboration with international partners, all systems are prepared for the launch of the Crew-6 mission on March 2 (Thursday) at 09:34 UAE Time.

MBRSC stated that the weather is 95 per cent favourable for launch, and teams continue to monitor it.

The Space Centre has extended an invitation to the public to observe the launch of the UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi to the International Space Station. Live coverage will begin at 06:00 UAE time, and the mission will launch at 09:34. Link to the live coverage: http://mbrsc.ae/live

Nasa has called off SpaceX Crew-6 launch to ISS in final minutes of countdown on Monday citing ground system issue.

Nasa said on Twitter, “Today’s Crew6 launch has been scrubbed due to an issue with ground systems. Stand by for details on a new launch date and time.”

Mission teams decided to stand down to investigate an issue preventing data from confirming a full load of the ignition source for the Falcon 9 first stage Merlin engines, triethylaluminum triethylboron (or TEA-TEB).

The UAE is ready to make history and shoot for the stars again, inspired by the ambitions of the nation’s Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Al Neyadi will become the second Emirati to take the UAE flag to Space, spending 180 days on board the orbiting laboratory of the International Space Station (ISS) alongside crew mates from Roscosmos and Nasa.

UAE Mission 2, the longest Arab Space mission in history, will significantly contribute to humanity’s understanding of life on and beyond Earth, three years after the Hope Probe.