International Space Station Welcomes 2 Saudi Visitors, Including Kingdom’s First Female Astronaut
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—The International Space Station rolled out the welcome mat Monday for two Saudi visitors, including the kingdom’s first female astronaut.
SpaceX’s chartered flight arrived at the orbiting lab less than 16 hours after blasting off from Florida. The four guests will spend just over a week there, before returning to Earth in their capsule.
The 270-mile-high (430-kilometer-high) docking puts the space station population at 11, representing not only Saudi Arabia and the United States, but the United Arab Emirates and Russia.
The sun rises over the International Space Station after a SpaceX capsule docked on May 22, 2023. (NASA TV via AP)
UAE’s astronaut Sultan al-Neyadi greeted them with dates, a traditional Arab welcome….