UAE astronaut Sultan al-Neyadi and his crew have safely returned to Earth after spending six months in space. NASA made the announcement at 8:19 a.m. UAE time.
Their journey aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule involved a 17 hour trip before they splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean near Jacksonville, Florida. SpaceX crews successfully recovered them. The astronauts were then carefully removed from the capsule.
Following their return, they will be flown to NASA’s facility in Florida for medical tests before reuniting with their families. After spending 184 days on the International Space Station (ISS), al-Neyadi departed on schedule, leaving behind a remarkable legacy as the first Arab to perform a spacewalk.
In anticipation of his arrival, electronic billboards across the UAE have been displaying countdowns and heartfelt messages, including one that simply says, “Safe Journey, Sultan.”
