Dear reader, It was a moment when a nation held its breath. As Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi and three colleagues were propelled into the skies on Thursday by a SpaceX rocket at more than 28,000kph, the thoughts of everyone in the UAE were with the 41-year-old former IT professional from Al Ain. Foremost among them would have been Dr Al Neyadi’s family, including his five children. Thanks to new technology, government funding and private sector involvement, space travel is becoming more common and commercial than ever before. But it is not without risk, and Dr Al Neyadi’s loved ones will join the rest of the country in praying for a safe journey for the second Emirati in space. But what a journey it will be. The 22-hour flight from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida to the International Space Station may be arduous for the astronauts, but it is just the first step in a gruelling six-month mission. After Dr Al Neyadi reached orbit, taking in the panoramic views of space afforded by the state-of-the-art Dragon capsule, his thoughts were clearly with his family back home and the people of the UAE. This week we talked to Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi about his aspirations after space. I hope you enjoy the story. UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi’s historic space mission is coming to an end this week. <br/> His six months on the International Space Station has inspired many, including thousands of young people with whom he interacted through live calls. Dr Al Neyadi and his American and Russian colleagues are scheduled to return to Earth on September 1. They will depart on a SpaceX Dragon capsule to begin their 24-hour journey home, ending with a splashdown off the Florida coast. As Dr Al Neyadi’s record-setting time in space draws to a close, The National looks at five top moments during his stay on the orbiting outpost. Dr Al Neyadi floated into the history books twice, becoming the first Arab astronaut on an extended space mission and the first to perform a spacewalk. Footage of him exiting the space station and carrying out a seven-hour maintenance assignment on its exterior was broadcast live on Nasa’s website on April 28. Dr Al Neyadi and his colleague Stephen Bowen wore 145kg spacesuits that allowed them to step out into the darkness of space. While they do not feel the weight of the suit because of zero-gravity conditions, astronauts often complain that their sheer bulk makes performing tasks more challenging. But Dr Al Neyadi carried out the assignment flawlessly and with precision, with a Nasa mission control director telling him he had "surgeon's hands" during the spacewalk. Dr Al Neyadi and his colleague Stephen Bowen wore 145kg spacesuits that allowed them to step out into the darkness of space. While they do not feel the weight of the suit because of zero-gravity conditions, astronauts often complain that their sheer bulk makes performing tasks more challenging. But Dr Al Neyadi carried out the assignment flawlessly and with precision, with a Nasa mission control director telling him he had "surgeon's hands" during the spacewalk. A short fun fact, or small educational detail related to the main theme goes here... Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. 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