UAE in space: What did Hazzaa AlMansoori carry with him to space?
Hazzaa will wear a kandora on board and serve traditional meals to fellow astronauts
Dubai - The spacecraft carrying Hazzaa Al Mansoori successfully docked at ISS in about 6 hours after blast off from Baikonur, and the Emirati austronaut and other crew members entered International Space Station during the early hours of the morning [UAE time] on Thursday.
September 25 marks the date when Hazza Al Mansouri became the first Emirati in space and the first Arab to travel to the International Space Station.
Mansoori, a 35-year-old former military pilot, will spend eight days at the International Space Station doing scientific experiments with other international astronauts.
As the event is a historical one, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center provided Al Mansoori with a 10 kilograms bag, which includes important elements of Emirati heritage, culture and history, which will be placed in museums upon his return.
In the bag Hazzaa carried one 100 per cent silk UAE Flag, 30 seeds of the symbolic Al Ghaf tree, a copy of the Quran, a picture of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and a copy of 'Qissati' of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The bag also includes three traditional dishes from the UAE, which were developed for this space trip, madrooba, saloona, and balaleet. Hazzaa is set to host an Emirati night for his fellow astronauts, where he will be wearing a kandora.
Also in Hazzaa's bag are some personal items, including pictures of his family.