UAE Astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi Speaks to Vice President From ISS: 'Very Crowded Schedule'

Just four days after reaching the International Space Station (ISS), Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi spoke to UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.

Their conversation was broadcast live on Tuesday on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) TV, as the Dubai ruler watched Al Neyadi from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre.

The Crew-6, which included Al Neyadi, had arrived at the ISS on March 3--25 hours after the Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

During the phone call, Sheikh Mohammed expressed his gratitude to the flight engineer for the example he had set for the Emirati youth and the Arab people, the National News reported.

"We are thankful you have reached the International Space Station and thank God for your safety," he said. "I would like to let you know that the youth of the UAE and the Arab world are taking you as an example and wish you all the luck."

In response, Al Neyadi thanked Sheikh Mohammed, saying, "Hopefully people will follow in the footsteps of my brother and mine," referring to Hazza Al Mansouri, the first UAE astronaut to embark on a short-duration space mission in 2019. "That is what we hoped for," he added.

Al Neyadi went on to talk about the experiments he and his crew would perform during their stay on the ISS, and added they have "a very crowded schedule" in space.

"Today or in three days time a crew will leave the ISS and our crew will handle all of the tasks and throughout the coming six months we will conduct scientific experiments," he told the Dubai ruler.

"One of the scientific experiments is us, Your Highness. Astronauts in microgravity are also subjects of experiments. One day people will go to the Moon and Mars. We have to understand the effects of microgravity on our bodies," he added, noting that it's one of the experiments they would conduct on a daily basis.

After their conversation, Sheikh Mohammed took to Twitter to talk about Al Neyadi's role in the future of the UAE.

"During my conversation today with Sultan Al Neyadi, the first Arab astronaut on a 6-month-long mission on the International Space Station, Sultan opens new doors for our youth, raises the ceiling for the aspirations of our generations, and represents a bright part of our future," he tweeted.

Al Neyadi and his crew will stay for six months on the ISS, where they will conduct at least 200 experiments on microgravity and life in space.