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Saudi Arabia’s Barnawi, Al-Qarni to Head to Space in 2023

Saudi astronauts Mariam Fardous, Rayyanah Barnawi, Ali Al-Qarni and Ali Al-Ghamdi (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi astronauts Mariam Fardous, Rayyanah Barnawi, Ali Al-Qarni and Ali Al-Ghamdi (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia’s Barnawi, Al-Qarni to Head to Space in 2023

Saudi astronauts Mariam Fardous, Rayyanah Barnawi, Ali Al-Qarni and Ali Al-Ghamdi (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi astronauts Mariam Fardous, Rayyanah Barnawi, Ali Al-Qarni and Ali Al-Ghamdi (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia will soon send its first female and male astronauts to the International Space Station. The step aims to boost Saudi capabilities in human spaceflight geared towards serving humanity and benefiting from the promising opportunities offered by the space industry

Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al-Qarni will blast off into outer space in the second quarter of this year.

The Saudi astronauts will join the crew of the AX-2 space mission and will advance Saudi Arabia’s contribution to scientific research in space technology, health, and sustainability.

The space mission is scheduled to launch from the USA to the International Space Station.

In addition, the Saudi Human Spaceflight Program includes the training of two more astronauts on all mission requirements. They have been named as Mariam Fardous and Ali AlGamdi.

The Chairman of the Saudi Space Commission (SSC), Abdullah Bin Amer Al-Swaha, said that the Kingdom’s leadership is keen to give unlimited support to the space program.

This support aims to increase graduates’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and to nurture innovation in space sciences, added Al-Sawaha.

It also aims to improve the Kingdom’s capacity to conduct its own research, which will benefit the industry and the nation, and develop human capital by attracting skilled talents.

Sending astronauts into space is a symbol of the Kingdom’s global competitiveness in fields of technology, engineering, research, and innovation.

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Balkans Snowstorm Leaves Tens of Thousands of Homes without Power, Causes Traffic Chaos

An aerial view of parked trolley buses during heavy snowfall in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024. (AP)
An aerial view of parked trolley buses during heavy snowfall in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024. (AP)
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Balkans Snowstorm Leaves Tens of Thousands of Homes without Power, Causes Traffic Chaos

An aerial view of parked trolley buses during heavy snowfall in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024. (AP)
An aerial view of parked trolley buses during heavy snowfall in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024. (AP)

Tens of thousands of homes in Bosnia were without electricity on Tuesday after more heavy snow and winds that also brought traffic chaos in neighboring Croatia and Serbia.

In Slovenia, the resumption of a search for an injured Hungarian hiker missing in the Alps north of the capital Ljubljana since Sunday was temporarily suspended because of strong winds.

Rescuers on Monday reached his female companion and transferred her to safety, but they were unable to locate the man and couldn't use a helicopter because of strong winds.

Throughout the Balkans authorities issued travel warnings as snow drifts closed some major routes, including sections of motorways in Croatia.

Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia banned the movement of heavy vehicles and imposed limited traffic levels on affected roads.

Parts of Bosnia faced a total halt of railway traffic because of the snow.

Bosnia's state power company described the situation as “extremely hard” in some areas of the country. The weight of heavy, moist snow brought down distribution lines which are hard to access due to snow drifts, the company said in a statement.

Regional N1 television reported dozens of vehicles were stuck in the snow for 10 hours in western Bosnia overnight before they could continue. Authorities in the nearby town of Drvar declared an emergency while struggling to clear snow.

The town's municipal council president Jasna Pecanac told the Drvar radio that the town has been cut off. “Many of our residents are stuck in the snow,” she said. “The situation is very hard as the snow continues to fall.”