Riyadh, May 29, 2023, SPA -- Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Alqarni successfully concluded three educational experiments today from the International Space Station (ISS), with the participation of 12,000 students from various schools in the Kingdom. The experiments were conducted through real-time interaction via satellite, with 47 sites and schools simultaneously attending and following up on the experiments. The initiative was carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba), and Riyadh and Misk schools.
The Governor of the Communications, Space, and Technology Commission (CST) and CEO of the Saudi Space Commission, Dr. Mohammed bin Saud Al-Tamimi, expressed gratitude to the efforts of the Minister of Education, Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Bunyan, and the educational team. He praised their support and the opportunity provided for students to interact with the astronauts and compare the results of the experiments conducted in a microgravity environment with those performed by students on Earth.
The three-day educational experiments focused on fluid mechanics through the liquid colour spread experiment, aerodynamics through the space kite experiment, and heat transfer methods through the heat transfer patterns experiment.
These educational awareness experiments were part of 14 pioneering scientific experiments conducted by the Saudi astronauts during their mission on the International Space Station (ISS). The experiments included six related to the brain and nervous system, four related to immune cells, and one related to cloud seeding.
The Saudi Space Commission (SSC) affirmed that these three educational experiments reflect the Kingdom's commitment to space exploration and its scientific advancements for the humanity. The Kingdom aims to attract and develop competent individuals and human capital capable of making significant contributions to the space sector.
In addition, the Kingdom works to raise awareness and interest concerning jobs related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics to build a new Saudi generation of astronauts, engineers, leaders, explorers and scientists in the space field. This aims at fulfilling the Kingdom’s aspirations and the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 about the space industry. The SSC also highlighted the importance of educational experiments in developing the knowledge and skills of students in the field of space science and engineering as well as the design and engineering of launch vehicles.
--SPA
22:16 LOCAL TIME 19:16 GMT
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