Rayyanah Barnawi, Ali Alqarni return to the KSA after successful space mission
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Riyadh: After a successful research mission at the International Space Station, Saudi astronauts Ali Alqarni, Rayyanah Barnawi, Mariam Fardous, and Ali Al-Ghamdi returned to their home country on Saturday morning.
Barnawi, the first Arab woman to orbit the planet and Alqarni, completed 14 microgravity research projects during their eight-day stay at the space station, three of which involved kite experiments with 12,000 students from 47 locations across the Kingdom via satellite. They returned to Earth on May 31.
After a 12-hour return voyage and re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, their SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft—which also contained American astronauts Peggy Whitson and John Shoffner—parachuted down onto the Gulf of Mexico off the shore of Panama City, Florida.
According to a statement released by the Saudi Space Agency upon the astronauts' arrival at King Khaled International Airport, the scientific mission will be of enormous service to humanity and assure the Kingdom prominent roles and an avant-garde position in space research.
The agency stated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is proud of the nation's outstanding accomplishments and contributions made possible by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz.