Saudi Space Agency

Saudi Space Agency
وكالة الفضاء السعودية
Agency overview
AbbreviationSSA
Former nameSaudi Space Commission
FormedDecember 27, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-12-27)
TypeSpace agency
JurisdictionGovernment of Saudi Arabia
HeadquartersRiyadh, Saudi Arabia
Abdullah Alswaha
Chief Executive OfficerMuhammad al-Tamimi
Websitessa.gov.sa/en

The Saudi Space Agency (SSA; Arabic: وكالة الفضاء السعودية, romanized: Wakālat al-Faḍāʼ al-Saʻūdīyah), previously known as the Saudi Space Commission (SSC), is an independent entity of the Government of Saudi Arabia established by a royal order issued on December 27, 2018, and elevated to agency status on June 14, 2023.[1] Chaired by Abdullah Alswaha, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology,[2] the agency's role is to advance the nation’s space initiatives.

On July 17, 2024, the SSA announced a space cooperation agreement with NASA to collaborate on civilian space research and exploration. This partnership represents a major step forward in the country's ambition to create a robust space sector.[3]

Spaceflights

[edit]

Before the establishment of the Saudi Space Agency, the only Saudi astronaut was Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, who flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985 as a payload specialist on mission STS-51-G which delivered Arabsat-1B to orbit. He became the first Arab, the first Muslim, and the first member of a royal family to travel to space.[4] Abdulmohsen Al-Bassam was the designated backup astronaut.

In 2022, the SSA purchased two seats on Axiom Mission 2, a private spaceflight to the International Space Station operated by the American company Axiom Space.[5] The mission, launched aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, included two Saudi astronauts, Ali AlQarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, the latter becoming the first Saudi woman in space. Ali AlGhamdi and Mariam Fardous were designated as backup astronauts.[6]

List of SSA astronauts

[edit]
Name
 Selection
 Time in space
 Missions
Ali AlQarni 2023 9 days, 5 hours and 27 minutes Axiom Mission 2
Rayyanah Barnawi 2023 9 days, 5 hours and 27 minutes Axiom Mission 2
Ali AlGhamdi 2023 N/A Axiom Mission 2 (backup)
Mariam Fardous 2023 N/A Axiom Mission 2 (backup)

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Obeid, Ghinwa (14 June 2023). "Saudi Space Commission elevated to Saudi Space Agency, expanding Kingdom's ambitions". Al Arabiya English. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Board Members". ssa.gov.sa. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  3. ^ "Nasa, Saudi Arabia sign space agreement". gulfnews.com. 2024-07-17. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  4. ^ "A prince in space" (January/February 1986 ed.). pp. 20–29. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  5. ^ Bell, Jennifer (23 March 2023). "Saudi astronauts to research cancer, cloud seeding, microgravity in space". Al Arabiya English. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Axiom Space Partners with Saudi Space Commission to Send First Female Saudi Astronaut to Space". Axiom Space. 2022-09-22. Retrieved 2024-01-21.


Stub icon

This article about an organization or institute connected with astronomy is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Stub icon

This Saudi Arabia related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Saudi_Space_Agency&oldid=1285247524"