First Saudi woman in space: Rayyanah Barnawi

The first female astronaut of Saudi Arabian origin, Rayyanah Barnawi, reached the International Space Station (ISS) with a rocket launched by SpaceX.

Rayyanah Barnawi (born September 1988 in Jeddah) is a biomedical researcher and the first Saudi female astronaut, selected for Axiom Mission 2 as a Mission Specialist by the Saudi Space Commission; her selection was officially announced on February 12, 2023.

SpaceX, the space transportation company owned by Elon Musk, sent 4 astronauts, including the first female astronaut of Saudi Arabian origin, Rayyanah Barnawi, to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Ax-2 mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. sent.

In addition to Barnawi, the Dragon capsule launched with the Falcon-9 rocket included Saudi Arabian fighter pilot Saudi Ali al-Karni, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, and businessman John Shoffner.

Thanking the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their support, Barnawi said, "Hello from space. It's a great feeling to watch the world from this capsule. The future is very bright for people around the world. I want you to dream bright and big, believe in yourself and in humanity."

The Dragon capsule carrying the astronauts will dock successfully with the ISS, while the crew will stay on the ISS for 8 days.

In the news published by the Saudi Arabian official agency SPA on May 17, it was reported that the preparations of Karni and Bernavi for space travel were completed.

In September last year, the Saudi Arabian Space Agency announced the launch of a space program within the scope of its “Vision 2030”. It was stated that it was aimed to benefit from the space industry sector and to contribute to research in this field.

In the statement made by the Space Agency on February 14, it was reported that Rayyane Bernavi and Ali Karni would go with the AX-2 space shuttle.