First Arab female reaches the International Space Station
Welcoming ceremony on the ISS
In a teary-eyed speech that Barnavi gave at the welcoming ceremony on the ISS, she stated that she was elated to be there. “I'm also very glad that I've received extensive training from trainers who have trained previous astronauts. I'm going to enjoy this experience to the max.”
Research on the ISS
During her scheduled 10 days in orbit on the ISS, the 34-year-old biomedical scientist plans to carry out stem cell and breast cancer research. As per reports from The National News, Barnavi will be “studying the inflammatory response of human immune cells in microgravity.”
Hopes to inspire women from all backgrounds in the Middle East
In a video filmed in space before reaching the ISS, Barnavi can be seen saying, "To the people around the world, the future is very bright. I would like you to dream big, believe in yourselves and believe in humanity."
What does it signify for Arabs?
This is the first human space flight under the kingdom's new astronaut programme which was announced last year. In recent years, the UAE has sent two Emiratis to space and a probe to Mars. It has also attempted a lunar mission and will be sending a spacecraft to the asteroid belt soon.
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