The spaceman landed on Earth this morning…

If you don’t already know, we’re here to tell you that Emirati astronaut (and main man for all things space and stardust), Sultan Al Neyadi has made it back to Earth safely after spending a record 186 days out in space.

Al Neyadi and his fellow crew mates reached Planet Home this morning, splashing down off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida.


The Dragon Spacecraft, carrying Al Neyadi and three other astronauts on the Space-X Crew-6, one of NASA’s most recent crew rotation flights, undocked from the International Space Station on September 3, bringing homeward the four-member team deployed on a historic space mission for the past six months.

Post touchdown, the craft was hauled to the recovery ship, with Al Neyadi being the last to exit an hour later.


Once medical checks are completed and the astronauts are deemed A-OK, they will fly to Houston where family members are waiting to give them a grand homecoming. Al Neyadi’s loved ones, including his father, brothers, and wife as well as Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) officials will all be ready to welcome him home.

The entire journey, from the undocking to the landing, was live-streamed on the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre website for all of us eagerly awaiting his return. Live coverage was also provided by NASA, starting from hatch closure to the end of the flight.

So, how does that make you feel?

Al Neyadi shared his final thoughts before leaving the space station and starting his journey back home with posts on his social media channels, calling the completion of this mission ‘not a goodbye’ and expressing his desire to come back in the future. Once a space racer, always a space racer is the sentiment we felt.


His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, congratulated Al Neyadi for accomplishing never-before-achieved feats in the history of Arab space exploration.

The overachieving cousin you get compared to

Al Neyadi has accomplished some incredible things in his tenure as an astronaut. The communications engineer was chosen as one of the first two Emirati astronauts ever, alongside Hazza Al Mansouri, and entered space for the first time in March 2023.

Aside from completing the longest Arab space mission as part of the SpaceX Crew-6, he also successfully completed the first Arab spacewalk on April 28, 2023 and additionally, conducted over 200 scientific experiments and engaged in over 1,000 hours of space operations.

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When Al Neyadi returns to the UAE, we are sure to see him out and about at events sharing details of his space trip.

Once again… Welcome home, Sultan Al Neyadi. You’ve done the UAE proud…

Images: Socials and MBRSC