UAE to send first astronauts into space in September

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Monday that it will send its first astronauts into space on Sept. 25.

"One of the two astronauts will travel to the space on Sept. 25, along with a Russian space mission aboard Soyuz MS-15 to spend eight days in the International Space Station," Director General of Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani said during a press conference.

"Then, he will come back to earth aboard Soyuz MS-12 to be replaced by another astronaut," according to the press conference.

The two astronauts' names, Hazza al-Mansoori and Sultan al-Neyadi, had already been announced by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE prime minister and ruler of Dubai, last September.

The UAE launched its first indigenously built satellite, KhalifaSat, in last October.

Source: RSS