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Saudi Astronauts Embark on Scientific Mission at ISS

The astronauts, aboard the Falcon 9 Rocket, head towards the International Space Station. (Saudi Space Authority)
The astronauts, aboard the Falcon 9 Rocket, head towards the International Space Station. (Saudi Space Authority)
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Saudi Astronauts Embark on Scientific Mission at ISS

The astronauts, aboard the Falcon 9 Rocket, head towards the International Space Station. (Saudi Space Authority)
The astronauts, aboard the Falcon 9 Rocket, head towards the International Space Station. (Saudi Space Authority)

The long-awaited moment has arrived for Saudi Arabia’s inaugural scientific expedition into space following a 16-hour journey since the triumphant launch of the Crew Dragon spacecraft.

The spacecraft is carrying Saudi Arabia and the Arab world's first female astronaut, Rayana Bernawi, and Saudi fighter pilot Ali Al-Qarni.

With the crew now united with their fellow astronauts on the orbiting laboratory, they are ready to embark upon their scientific, research, and humanitarian endeavors.

The Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) successfully reached the ISS, as revealed by live footage which captured the momentous occasion.

US astronauts Peggy Whitson and John Shoffner complete the four-member crew.

Bernawi and Al-Qarni expressed their joy upon successfully reaching the ISS and preparing to commence their scientific mission.

The two Saudi astronauts carry the hopes of their fellow Saudis and eagerly anticipate benefiting humanity through the outcomes of the experiments and scientific research they are set to conduct during this historic mission.

Surrounded by the jubilant ISS crew, Al-Qarni joyfully celebrated the successful arrival and integration into the team.

In an onboard Arabic speech, he expressed pride in representing Saudi Arabia, highlighting the Kingdom’s dedication to the aerospace industry.

“We have reached this milestone, poised to conduct scientific experiments that will yield beneficial outcomes for humanity,” said Al-Qarni.

For her part, Bernawi shared that she embodies the aspirations of all Saudis in this mission following 10 months of meticulous preparation and training.

“We are living a once-improbable dream, made possible by the support of Saudi leadership and the encouragement of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” she said.

“Through this mission, we represent all Saudis and Arabs, forging a path towards scientific discoveries that benefit humanity,” she added.

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S.Africa's Iconic Protea Flower Relocates as Climate Warms

Protea flower grower Nico Thuynsma cultivates the blooms north of Johannesburg, 1,500 km (930 miles) from their natural home at the southern tip of Africa. Phill Magakoe / AFP
Protea flower grower Nico Thuynsma cultivates the blooms north of Johannesburg, 1,500 km (930 miles) from their natural home at the southern tip of Africa. Phill Magakoe / AFP
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S.Africa's Iconic Protea Flower Relocates as Climate Warms

Protea flower grower Nico Thuynsma cultivates the blooms north of Johannesburg, 1,500 km (930 miles) from their natural home at the southern tip of Africa. Phill Magakoe / AFP
Protea flower grower Nico Thuynsma cultivates the blooms north of Johannesburg, 1,500 km (930 miles) from their natural home at the southern tip of Africa. Phill Magakoe / AFP

On his farm two hours north of Johannesburg, Nico Thuynsma gestured towards thousands of orange, yellow and pink proteas in flower and thriving 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from their natural home at the southern tip of Africa.

"They're all different," the 55-year-old farmer said of the assorted blooms from the diverse Proteaceae family that has more than 350 species in South Africa, from firework-like "pincushion" varieties to delicate "blushing brides".

He picked out a majestic pink and white crown, nearly the size of his head, that has taken four years to reach its impressive size. "The King Proteas are very slow to grow," Thuynsma said.

The largest of the proteas, the King Protea, is South Africa's national flower.

It has lent its name to the national cricket team and countless brands. It features on the currency and is the logo for South Africa's presidency this year of the G20 group of leading economies, which convenes a summit in November.

It is also the country's largest flower export with more than 10 million stems sent abroad last year, worth close to 275 million rand ($15 million), according to the Cape Flora industry organization, said AFP.

Its status offers the King Protea some protection but almost half of South Africa's other protea species face extinction because of pressures on their native habitats in the mountains of the Cape, according to South Africa's National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).

These include habitat loss to agriculture, the proliferation of invasive alien species and "changes to natural fire cycles", SANBI said in a 2021 report.

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"People come to South Africa to see proteas," Nigel Barker, a professor in plant sciences at the University of Pretoria, told AFP. "It's the plant equivalent of the elephant or the lion."

Most proteas are endemic or semi-endemic to the Cape Floral Kingdom biome of "fynbos" ("fine bush") that stretches across the southern tip of South Africa and is one of the world's richest flora biodiversity hotspots.

But climate projections predict "hotter, drier conditions", Barker said. "We'll be looking at a completely different vegetation type in the future, semi-desert almost in some places."

"Many species, because they're so range-restricted, will probably go extinct under those scenarios," he said.

"The only solution we have is to cultivate them artificially... in greenhouses or farms where you control irrigation," Barker said.

An example is Thuynsma's farm in the grasslands of the north, where he began planting proteas three decades ago.

Here, winters are dry and frosty, and the summers rainy -- conditions very different to those in the far south where the proteas are at home.

Gel for irrigation

Through trial and error, Thuynsma has been able to cultivate close to 200 protea varieties, including some long forgotten and abandoned by farmers in their original habitats.

In his latest experiment, he has planted 36 varieties with just two liters (four pints) of saturated gel for irrigation.

"I hope to unlock the power of some of these varieties," Thuynsma said. "They come from the Western Cape out of very harsh conditions, so they do have it in them."

"I learn from them, I learn with them. And, hopefully, in the future I can advise my nursery public -- and even estates -- how to plant this lovely fynbos without irrigation," he said.

"I don't think I have a solution for climate change," he joked, crouched over a small seedling in freshly turned soil. "But I do have a solution: to plant proteas."

A few meters (yards) away, in a warm nursery, thousands of protea sprouts awaited their turn in the soil.

"I love them, I protect them, I collect them," Thuynsma said. "The protea is part of South Africa's DNA."