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Saudi astronauts, including first Saudi woman, to space station on SpaceX flight NPR

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon capsule and a crew of four civilian astronauts will launch Sunday from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Jon Lau/AP


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Jon Lau/AP


A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon capsule and a crew of four civilian astronauts will launch Sunday from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Jon Lau/AP

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Saudi Arabia’s first astronauts in decades rocketed to the International Space Station on Sunday on a multimillion-dollar charter flight.

SpaceX has set up a ticket-holding staff led by a former NASA astronaut who now works for the company that arranged the trip. Also in attendance is a US businessman who now owns a sports car racing team.

The four should arrive at the space station in a capsule on Monday morning. They will spend a little over a week there before landing on the water off the coast of Florida and returning home.

Sponsored by the Saudi government, stem cell researcher Rayana Barnawi became the first woman from Saudi Arabia to go into space. She was joined by Saudi Air Force fighter pilot Ali Al-Kalni.

They will be the first to board a rocket from their home country since a Saudi prince was launched aboard the Shuttle Discovery in 1985. At an odd moment, the station is greeted by an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates.

“This is a dream come true for everyone,” Barnawi said before leaving. “I just realized that this is possible. If me and Ali can do it, so can they.”

Rounding out the visiting crew was John Schoffner of Knoxville, Tennessee, former driver and owner of a European sports car racing team, accompanied by Peggy Whitson, the space station’s first passenger. A female commander, 665 holds the US record for the longest time spent in space. Day by day, and counting.

“It was an amazing ride,” Whitson said after reaching orbit. The crew clapped their hands in joy.

The crew of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft arrive at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. From left, Saudi astronaut Rayana Barnawi, Commander Peggy Whitson, and pilot John Schofner. , Saudi Arabian astronaut Ali Al-Khalni. before being launched to the International Space Station on Sunday.

Terry Lena/AP


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Terry Lena/AP


The crew of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft arrive at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. From left, Saudi astronaut Rayana Barnawi, Commander Peggy Whitson, and pilot John Schofner. , Saudi Arabian astronaut Ali Al-Khalni. before being launched to the International Space Station on Sunday.

Terry Lena/AP

This will be the second private flight to the space station organized by Houston-based Axiom Space. The first was done last year by three businessmen and another retired NASA astronaut. The company plans to begin adding its own rooms to stations in the next few years, eventually tearing them down to form independent outposts that can be rented out.

Axiom did not disclose how much Schofner and Saudi Arabia are paying for the planned 10-day mission. The company previously estimated ticket prices at $55 million per ticket.

NASA’s latest price list is $2,000 per person, per day for groceries, and up to $1,500 for sleeping bags and other equipment. Do you need to transport your luggage to the space station in advance? Do the math, it’s roughly $10,000 per pound ($20,000 per kilogram), then the same for disposal. Do you want the item returned in pristine condition? Double the price.

At least the email and video link are free.

Guests can access most of the station to demonstrate how kites attached to fans fly in space, while conducting experiments, taking pictures of the Earth, and conversing with schoolchildren back home. can.

After decades of avoiding space travel, NASA is now open to space travel and planning private missions twice a year. The Russian Space Agency has been doing it off and on for decades.

“Our job is to expand our activities in low-Earth orbit around the world,” said Joel Montalbano, NASA’s space station program manager.

SpaceX’s first stage booster will land at Cape Canaveral eight minutes after launch and will be recycled for future flights.

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon capsule and a crew of four civilian astronauts will launch Sunday from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Jon Lau/AP

hide caption

toggle caption

Jon Lau/AP

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon capsule and a crew of four civilian astronauts will launch Sunday from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Jon Lau/AP

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Saudi Arabia’s first astronauts in decades rocketed to the International Space Station on Sunday on a multimillion-dollar charter flight. SpaceX has set up a ticket-holding staff led by a former NASA astronaut who now works for the company that arranged the trip. Also in attendance is a US businessman who now owns a sports car racing team. The four should arrive at the space station in a capsule on Monday morning. They will spend a little over a week there before landing on the water off the coast of Florida and returning home. Sponsored by the Saudi government, stem cell researcher Rayana Barnawi became the first woman from Saudi Arabia to go into space. She was joined by Saudi Air Force fighter pilot Ali Al-Kalni.

They will be the first to board a rocket from their home country since a Saudi prince was launched aboard the Shuttle Discovery in 1985. At an odd moment, the station is greeted by an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates. “This is a dream come true for everyone,” Barnawi said before leaving. “I just realized that this is possible. If me and Ali can do it, so can they.” Rounding out the visiting crew was John Schoffner of Knoxville, Tennessee, former driver and owner of a European sports car racing team, accompanied by Peggy Whitson, the space station’s first passenger. A female commander, 665 holds the US record for the longest time spent in space. Day by day, and counting.

“It was an amazing ride,” Whitson said after reaching orbit. The crew clapped their hands in joy.

The crew of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft arrive at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. From left, Saudi astronaut Rayana Barnawi, Commander Peggy Whitson, and pilot John Schofner. , Saudi Arabian astronaut Ali Al-Khalni. before being launched to the International Space Station on Sunday.

Terry Lena/AP

hide caption

toggle caption

Terry Lena/AP

The crew of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft arrive at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. From left, Saudi astronaut Rayana Barnawi, Commander Peggy Whitson, and pilot John Schofner. , Saudi Arabian astronaut Ali Al-Khalni. before being launched to the International Space Station on Sunday.

Terry Lena/AP

This will be the second private flight to the space station organized by Houston-based Axiom Space. The first was done last year by three businessmen and another retired NASA astronaut. The company plans to begin adding its own rooms to stations in the next few years, eventually tearing them down to form independent outposts that can be rented out. Axiom did not disclose how much Schofner and Saudi Arabia are paying for the planned 10-day mission. The company previously estimated ticket prices at $55 million per ticket. NASA’s latest price list is $2,000 per person, per day for groceries, and up to $1,500 for sleeping bags and other equipment. Do you need to transport your luggage to the space station in advance? Do the math, it’s roughly $10,000 per pound ($20,000 per kilogram), then the same for disposal. Do you want the item returned in pristine condition? Double the price.

At least the email and video link are free. Guests can access most of the station to demonstrate how kites attached to fans fly in space, while conducting experiments, taking pictures of the Earth, and conversing with schoolchildren back home. can. After decades of avoiding space travel, NASA is now open to space travel and planning private missions twice a year. The Russian Space Agency has been doing it off and on for decades. “Our job is to expand our activities in low-Earth orbit around the world,” said Joel Montalbano, NASA’s space station program manager.

SpaceX’s first stage booster will land at Cape Canaveral eight minutes after launch and will be recycled for future flights.

https://www.npr.org/2023/05/21/1177445179/saudi-astronauts-including-nations-1st-woman-catch-a-spacex-flight-to-space-stat Saudi astronauts, including first Saudi woman, to space station on SpaceX flight NPR

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