Video: Astronauts work hard, play hard onboard the International Space Station
UAE astronaut Al Neyadi shows what astronauts do during 'weekend' downtime
How do long-staying astronauts pass the time away during “weekends” in space? UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi on Friday shared a video showing a downtime for the team of space explorers.
Al Neyadi uploaded a video on Friday in which he demonstrated one of the activities they play to unwind after work.
“During the weekends, we sometimes spend our time playing games. It is one of our favourite activities to do together,” Al Neyadi stated in a tweet.
“These games are the perfect way to unwind after work and prepare ourselves for the tasks ahead.”
The game's goal is for players to try to fling a table tennis ball between two rings in a dart-like motion. It was played with Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev and NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen.
Astronauts see more than 16 sunrises and sunsets during a 24-hour period on board the ISS, which hovers some 400km above on what is called a "low-Earth orbit".
Al Neyadi stands as the longest-serving Arab astronaut, having spent more months aboard the space station than any other astronaut from this region.
The journey signifies a historic milestone for the UAE, as Al Neyadi has navigated through a series of firsts, setting a list of unprecedented achievements.