UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi speaks ahead of ISS space mission

UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi has said he feels "ready and excited" ahead of his six-month mission to the International Space Station.

He joins a team of three other crew members onboard a Falcon 9 rocket as part of the SpaceX/Nasa Crew-6 mission.

Speaking at a press conference for the launch, Al Neyadi explained the intense pressures he and his fellow crew members will undergo.

What are some of the most important scientific experiments that Astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi, Mission Specialist, Crew-6, will conduct onboard the ISS?#UAEAstronautProgramme pic.twitter.com/h79jVtlqEh

— MBR Space Centre (@MBRSpaceCentre) January 25, 2023

He also spoke positively about the UAE's ambitions with space research and travel. 

Astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi, Mission Specialist, Crew-6, discusses the rapid development of the UAE Astronaut Programme and the Emirati space sector during the crew news press conference.#UAEAstronautProgramme pic.twitter.com/ddzV50Is0l

— MBR Space Centre (@MBRSpaceCentre) January 25, 2023

After the press conference, the crew got the chance to sign the conference room door, a tradition that has been maintained for years.

"I am happy and honoured to follow the footsteps of my colleague Hazza Al Mansouri who did this back in 2019," Al Neyadi said.

The launch will take place on February 26 at 11:07 am (UAE time).

In 2019, his colleague Hazza Al Mansouri became the first Arab astronaut to go to the space station for an eight-day trip.