According to online sources, representatives of Russia and Saudi Arabia are exploring the possibility of sending a Saudi astronaut on a short-term space flight. The conversation took place during a meeting of the intergovernmental commission of the two states.
The message states that both sides intend to continue further negotiations on the prospects and mutually beneficial areas of joint activities in the space industry. In addition, the parties will continue to work on preparations for a manned flight with the participation of a Saudi astronaut.
It is worth noting that the message about a possible flight into space by a citizen of Saudi Arabia appeared after the visit of Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud to the Russian Federation. As part of his recent visit, the Saudi prince visited the Mission Control Center and also held a meeting with the head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin.
Let us remember that in the past, a Saudi prince became the first astronaut of his country. In 1985, he spent a week in outer space. It is expected that Russia and Saudi Arabia will soon formulate a program for further cooperation in the space industry.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, Russia is exploring the possibility of cooperation with other Arab states. For example, an astronaut from the UAE will soon go into orbit on the domestic Soyuz spacecraft. After the short-term expedition, the possibility of carrying out a long-term flight with the participation of an astronaut from the UAE will be considered. Negotiations on conducting a space flight are also ongoing with representatives of Bahrain.
Source: 3dnews.ru