On This Day

First female Arab astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi, from Saudi Arabia goes into space on Axiom Space's second private mission,

First female Arab astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi, from Saudi Arabia goes into space on Axiom Space's second private mission, with fellow Saudi Ali Alqarni and Americans, Peggy Whitson and John Shoffner [1]

To date, there have been six astronauts from Arab nations, also called "najmonauts" (from Arabic نجم (najm), meaning 'star', and Ancient Greek ναύτης (nautes), meaning 'sailor') who have flown to space. Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia flew in the US Space Shuttle in 1985. Syrian astronaut Muhammed Faris made a space flight in 1987, as part of a joint Syrian-Soviet mission. In 2019 Hazza Al Mansouri of the United Arab Emirates flew in the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft to the International Space Station and in 2023 Sultan Al Neyadi from the United Arab Emirates flew to the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Dragon crew capsule. Al Neyadi was later joined during his mission by Ali Al-Qarni and the first Arab female, Saudi Rayyanah Barnawi, both from Saudi Arabia.

Historical Significance

To date, there have been six astronauts from Arab nations, also called "najmonauts" (from Arabic نجم (najm), meaning 'star', and Ancient Greek ναύτης (nautes), meaning 'sailor') who have flown to space.

Events Before

  1. Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan becomes the first player in NBA history to hit buzzer-beaters on consecutive days; h

    Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan becomes the first player in NBA history to hit buzzer-beaters on consecutive days; he hits 3-pointers to beat the Washington Wizards 120-119 and the previous night the Indiana Pacers 108-106

  2. Actors Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa divorce after four years of marriage

    Actors Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa divorce after four years of marriage

  3. Russia launches a full-scale pre-dawn and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by land, air, and sea, with bombings in several

    Russia launches a full-scale pre-dawn and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by land, air, and sea, with bombings in several cities. Moments later, Vladimir Putin announces the start of a three-day “special military operation” in Ukraine to "demilitarize" the country. [1]

  4. In a major victory for Ukraine, Russia announces it is withdrawing its badly mauled forces from around Ukraine's capital

    In a major victory for Ukraine, Russia announces it is withdrawing its badly mauled forces from around Ukraine's capital, Kyiv

  5. "Top Gun Maverick" the sequel starring Tom Cruise, Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly is released 36 years after the ori

    "Top Gun Maverick" the sequel starring Tom Cruise, Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly is released 36 years after the original film

Events After

  1. A magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes Japan's western coast, killing an estimated 120 people and injuring more than 100

    A magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes Japan's western coast, killing an estimated 120 people and injuring more than 100

  2. English singer Elton John wins an Emmy Award for the television special "Elton John: Farewell From Dodger Stadium", comp

    English singer Elton John wins an Emmy Award for the television special "Elton John: Farewell From Dodger Stadium", completing his EGOT (winning all four major American entertainment awards)

  3. Denis Villeneuve's science fiction film epic "Dune: Part Two" premieres in Mexico City, starring Timothée Chalamet and a

    Denis Villeneuve's science fiction film epic "Dune: Part Two" premieres in Mexico City, starring Timothée Chalamet and an ensemble cast

  4. LeBron James becomes the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 regular-season points as his LA Lakers slip to a 12

    LeBron James becomes the first player in NBA history to score 40,000 regular-season points as his LA Lakers slip to a 124-114 defeat to Denver Nuggets in Los Angeles

  5. New rule limiting tailpipe pollution aimed at greatly expanding electric vehicles in the US is announced by President Jo

    New rule limiting tailpipe pollution aimed at greatly expanding electric vehicles in the US is announced by President Joe Biden [1]

More from the 2020s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 21, 2023?
To date, there have been six astronauts from Arab nations, also called "najmonauts" (from Arabic نجم (najm), meaning 'star', and Ancient Greek ναύτης (nautes), meaning 'sailor') who have flown to space. Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia flew in the US Space Shuttle in 1985. Syrian astronaut Muhammed Faris made a space flight in 1987, as part of a joint Syrian-Soviet mission.
Why is First female Arab astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi, from Saudi Arabia goes into spa... significant?
To date, there have been six astronauts from Arab nations, also called "najmonauts" (from Arabic نجم (najm), meaning 'star', and Ancient Greek ναύτης (nautes), meaning 'sailor') who have flown to space.

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