Mohammed Faris, Syria's first and the Arab world's second cosmonaut, and also a former fighter pilot, passed away recently in Turkey, where he became a citizen. He specialized in navigation when he was selected to participate in the Intercosmos spaceflight program on 30 September 1985.
Muhammad Ahmed Faris was born on May 26, 1951, in Aleppo, the second largest city in Syria after Damascus.
Faris, who graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1973, served in the Syrian Air Force with the rank of Colonel.
He was selected to participate in the Interkosmos spaceflight program on September 30, 1985. Participated in navigation programs. After approximately 2 years of training, he went to space as a Cosmonaut with the Soyuz TM-3 Research Vehicle on the Mir Space Station on July 22, 1987, and stayed in space for 7 days, 23 hours and 5 minutes.
Muhammed Ahmed Faris (26 May 1951 – 19 April 2024) was a Syrian military aviator and astronaut. He was the first Syrian and the second Arab in space. Born in Aleppo, Syria, he was a pilot in the Syrian Air Force with the rank of colonel. He specialized in navigation when he was selected to participate in the Intercosmos spaceflight program on 30 September 1985.
Mohammed Ahmed Faris, the first Syrian and the second Arab to go to space, returned to Earth on the Soyuz TM-2 ship after completing his mission. During the mission, he said that he "felt like he was looking at his mother" when looking at the earth from space.
On July 30, 1987, he was declared a 'Hero of the Soviet Union' and awarded the Order of Lenin.
After his space mission, he returned to his duty in the Syrian Air Force.
In 2012, after the civil war in his country, Faris, who opposed Assad, took refuge in Turkey.
He was married and had three children.