On Friday, Emirati astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi made history by performing the first spacewalk by an Arab astronaut outside the International Space Station (ISS). AlNeyadi was wearing a spacesuit with the words “Impossible is Possible” printed on it.
AlNeyadi and veteran NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen began their six-hour spacewalk at 5.11 p.m. (UAE time). NASA flight engineers Woody Hoburg and Frank Rubio, who were on board the ISS at the time, assisted them in putting on their gear. “Congratulations, Sultan, you are making history today,” Hoburg added.
On March 2, AlNeyadi took part in the NASA SpaceX Crew-6 mission, which launched him to the International Space Station. This year, UAE astronaut al Neyadi celebrated Eid al-Fitr aboard the International Space Station, sending his best wishes to everyone from above in a video greeting sent to his social media account on Friday.
Roles and achievements of other astronauts involved in the spacewalk
During Expedition 69, UAE astronaut Hazzaa AlMansoori functioned as the point of communication between the ISS crew and the ground crew. In 2019, he became the first Emirati to travel to space.
He kept an eye on the mission from the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. Following all of the ISS activity, the Emirati crew at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) was also very busy.
Bowen, who was the commander of his seventh spacewalk. In his red stripes spacesuit, he was the first to exit the Joint Quest Airlock on the International Space Station. At 5:39 p.m. (UAE time), AlNeyadi made the first step outside the ISS.
During the live broadcast, AlNeyadi can be heard receiving plaudits for his good performance from the NASA crew in Houston. “That was impressive, Sultan. You have a surgeon’s hands,” the ground controller told the Emirati astronaut.
Challenges faced during the spacewalk and NASA’s solution
The two astronauts were in constant communication with the NASA ground controller. AlNeyadi and Bowen were also told to check their gloves and helmet absorption pad (HAP) every 90 minutes to ensure there was no moisture within their helmets or rips in their gloves.
Ground personnel monitored oxygen levels, water utilization for cooling, battery power, and carbon dioxide removal. AlNeyadi and Bowen completed the first assignment, which involved preparing a part of the ISS for the building of a future solar array.
They were, however, unable to execute the second assignment, which was to remove an obsolete component of the Radio Frequency Group. They had difficulty removing the fasteners that held the ISS antenna in place. The two astronauts were unable to remove it despite exerting pressure and being advised to use a hammer.
Then NASA gave them permission to forego retrieving the unit from space and instead return it to the station for refurbishment.