Crew-6’s Muslim astronaut could attempt to quick for Ramadan, a minimum of for a part of his mission.
Sultan Al-Neyadi mentioned, that as a traveler, he’s allowed to maintain consuming usually through the first six-month tour to the International Space Station ever flown by a United Arab Emirates (UAE) astronaut. That journey will start no prior to Feb. 26, when he and three different astronauts journey to space atop SpaceX‘s Falcon 9 rocket in a Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Al-Neyadi advised reporters on Jan. 25 that he could must maintain a comparatively constant meal schedule through the mission, as he’s not in a position to do actions “that may jeopardize the mission or possibly put the crewmember in a danger.” That mentioned, if the schedule permits, he could attempt to quick on some days: “We’ll see the way it goes,” he mentioned in livestreamed feedback from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which follows the lunar calendar and modifications in relation to the Gregorian calendar that a lot of the world makes use of. In 2023, Ramadan will final from roughly March 22 to April 23, relying on native sightings of the crescent moon. Throughout that lunar month, most grownup Muslims are required to quick from daybreak to sundown; observing Ramadan is without doubt one of the 5 Pillars of Islam.
Associated: SpaceX Crew-6 astronauts gear up for Feb. 26 launch to space station
There are exceptions to the Ramadan fasting rule, and Al-Neyadi qualifies for considered one of them: all vacationers are exempt from the duty, he mentioned. “We’re truly allowed to eat adequate meals and to stop any escalation of lack of meals or diet or hydration,” he mentioned. (The UAE House Company didn’t reply by the point of this story’s publication to a House.com request asking if there was any particular meals deliberate for Al-Neyadi.)
Fasting throughout space missions has occurred earlier than throughout Ramadan. The primary-ever Muslim in space, Prince Sultan bin Salman Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia, launched on the final day of the holy month on June 17, 1985, on the weeklong space shuttle mission STS-51G.
The choice course of for Al-Saud was sophisticated. Again then, NASA had a shuttle place known as a “payload specialist” that allowed nations or corporations to fly non-career astronauts for restricted duties — to oversee experiments or different tech, for instance.
A multinational coalition was launching the satellite Arabsat-1B aboard that shuttle mission, and Saudi Arabia was voted because the nation to launch a consultant. The coalition, working with restricted coaching time obtainable earlier than launch, chosen Al-Saud based mostly on his 1,000-plus hours of pilot flight time and his fluency in English (a requirement for space shuttle operations), in keeping with the Arab News (opens in new tab). On the time of Al-Saud’s choice, he was working as an official with the Saudi Ministry of Data.
Associated: SpaceX to launch 1st Saudi woman to space on private Ax-2 mission
(opens in new tab)
Earlier than launch day dawned, Al-Saud ate the standard suhoor pre-sunrise meal. He then prayed on the launch tower simply earlier than boarding the space shuttle, in keeping with the UAE newspaper The National (opens in new tab), quoting from Al-Saud’s autobiography “7 Days In Space (opens in new tab).”
As soon as safely in space with some restricted spare time obtainable, Al-Saud learn the Koran and fasted. “Now I really feel fairly exhausted, probably as a result of lack of sleep, weightlessness and lack of bodily fluids,” he recalled in his guide. One hour earlier than he broke his quick, he added, he felt dehydrated. The remainder of the crew stayed close to him as supporters, till he was in a position to eat.
NASA astronaut John Fabian wished Al-Saud nicely, the autobiography acknowledged, when Saudi Arabia relayed information to NASA that the lunar crescent was seen and Ramadan had ended. That second began the Muslim competition day that breaks the quick: Eid Al Fitr. Al-Saud added he was “ecstatic” that he may spend Eid in space.
(opens in new tab)
As for Al-Neyadi, he mentioned being the primary Emirati long-duration astronaut is “an amazing privilege, but it is an amazing duty.” He’s the second from that area to fly into space following the eight-day excursion to the ISS by Hazzaa Ali Almansoori in 2019.
Al-Neyadi, 41, noticed his sixth youngster born not too way back. Reflecting on the Crew-6 moniker, he joked in a Jan. 25 small-group interview on Zoom with House.com that having sufficient youngsters to match the mission quantity “just isn’t within the necessities.
“However,” he added with fun, “I am making an attempt to be a great crewmember.”
Elizabeth Howell is the co-author of “Why Am I Taller (opens in new tab)?” (ECW Press, 2022; with Canadian astronaut Dave Williams), a guide about space drugs. Observe her on Twitter @howellspace (opens in new tab). Observe us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or Facebook (opens in new tab).
