UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi starting Ramadan in space but fasting is not allowed on ISS

The holy month of Ramadan is about to begin. People of Muslim community all over the world keep fast this month. The special thing is that this year an astronaut will see the beginning of Ramadan in space about 400 kilometers above the earth. United Arab Emirates (UAE) astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi flew into space on March 2 this month. He reached the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft. Sultan Al Neyadi has arrived on the ISS for a long period of 6 months. Neyadi will celebrate Ramadan in space, but probably will not fast and the reason for this is worth knowing.

People of the Muslim community fast during the holy month of Ramadan, but Sultan Al Neyadi may not be able to fast. spacedotcom’s Report According to , during a pre-flight press conference, Al Neyadi said that during their stay on the ISS, astronauts have to eat adequate food and also they have to avoid lack of food or nutrition or hydration.

Neyadi had said that his priority would be to serve this mission. He may not engage in activities that could jeopardize the mission or put crew members at risk. From his statement it is believed that perhaps Neyadi will not fast in space. Al Neyadi is not the first astronaut to celebrate Ramadan in space. According to the report, Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan bin Salman Al-Saud, the first Muslim to go to space, reached space in the year 1985. He arrived on Space Shuttle Mission STS-51G on June 17, at the end of Ramadan.

It is noteworthy that astronauts have to take special care of their health during their journey in space. Especially towards Khan. Failure to do so may impact their mission. Neyadi will perform many big responsibilities on the ISS in 6 months. According to the report, he will experiment on many subjects, including back pain, plant biology, cardiovascular health, material science, radiation, sleep etc.