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Khalid bin Salman: Saudi Arabia Carrying out Historic Space Mission to Serve Humanity

Saudis watch the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule, carrying four astronauts, two of whom are Saudi nationals, to the International Space Station, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, US in an event organized to celebrate the first Saudi woman into Space in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 22, 2023. (Reuters)
Saudis watch the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule, carrying four astronauts, two of whom are Saudi nationals, to the International Space Station, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, US in an event organized to celebrate the first Saudi woman into Space in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 22, 2023. (Reuters)
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Khalid bin Salman: Saudi Arabia Carrying out Historic Space Mission to Serve Humanity

Saudis watch the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule, carrying four astronauts, two of whom are Saudi nationals, to the International Space Station, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, US in an event organized to celebrate the first Saudi woman into Space in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 22, 2023. (Reuters)
Saudis watch the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule, carrying four astronauts, two of whom are Saudi nationals, to the International Space Station, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, US in an event organized to celebrate the first Saudi woman into Space in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 22, 2023. (Reuters)

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman stressed on Monday that the Kingdom was carrying out a historic space mission to serve humanity as the International Space Station welcomed two Saudi visitors, including the Kingdom's first female astronaut.

In a tweet, he said that the mission was a success through the support of the Saudi leadership and people.

The mission holds promising prospects for discovering space and encouraging scientific research, he added.

Nothing has ever been impossible for Saudi Arabia, he stressed, while wishing Rayana Bernawi and Ali Al-Qarni success in their mission.

SpaceX's chartered flight arrived at the orbiting lab less than 16 hours after blasting off from Florida. The four guests will spend just over a week there, before returning to Earth in their capsule.

“This shows how space brings everyone together,” said Bernawi, a stem cell researcher. “I'm going to live this experience to the max.”

Fighter pilot Ali al-Qarni dedicated the visit to everyone back home. “This mission is not just for me and Rayana. This mission is also for the people with ambition and dreams.”

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Peru Scientists Unveil Crocodile Fossil Up to 12 Million Years Old

Paleontologists unveil the fossil of a young marine crocodile dating back 10 to 12 million years discovered in Peru. Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP
Paleontologists unveil the fossil of a young marine crocodile dating back 10 to 12 million years discovered in Peru. Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP
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Peru Scientists Unveil Crocodile Fossil Up to 12 Million Years Old

Paleontologists unveil the fossil of a young marine crocodile dating back 10 to 12 million years discovered in Peru. Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP
Paleontologists unveil the fossil of a young marine crocodile dating back 10 to 12 million years discovered in Peru. Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP

Paleontologists unveiled on Wednesday the fossil of a young marine crocodile dating back 10 to 12 million years that was discovered in a Peruvian desert.
The fossil of the gharial -- or fish-eating -- crocodile, around three meters long (nearly 10 feet), was discovered late 2023 in perfect condition in Peru's Ocucaje desert, around 350 kilometers (190 miles) south of the capital Lima, AFP said.
"This is the first time we found a juvenile of this species, that is to say, it had not reached its maximum size yet. It died before that," vertebrate paleontologist Mario Gamarra told a news conference.
The skull and jaws of these specimens differed from that of today's crocodiles and alligators, according to Gamarra, who headed the reconstruction of the fossil.
"They had an elongated snout and their diet was entirely piscivorous, feeding on fish," said Gamarra.
"The closest current relative to this crocodile would be the Indian gharial," he added.
The discovery was made jointly by Peru's Geological, Mining and Metallurgical Institute and the La Union school.
Peru's Ocucaje desert is rich in fossils, such as four-legged dwarf whales, dolphins, sharks and other species from the Miocene period -- between 5 and 23 million years ago -- that were previously discovered there.