The 600th person to orbit the Earth

The first female astronaut of the Saudi Arabian Space Commission became the 600th person to orbit the Earth on the Dragon spacecraft (SpaceX) at 4:37 a.m. on May 22 ( Hanoi time).

Biomedical researcher Rayyanah Barnawi. Photo: Vytal/Chris Zuponcic/Axiom Space

The launch on May 22 kicks off Ax-2, Axiom Space’s second private crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The first mission, Ax-1, is scheduled for April 2022.

Ax-2 is made up of four members: former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, pilot John Shoffner, pilot Ali Alqarni and biomedical researcher Rayyanah Barnawi. This is the first spaceflight for Shoffner and Alqarni, who are the 598th and 599th people to orbit the Earth, respectively. Barnawi, the first female astronaut of the Saudi Arabian Space Commission, becomes the 600th person.

If we count all the people who have crossed the Kármán line—the boundary of space defined by many international experts as 100 kilometers above the Earth—we need to add 32 people who have flown on Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft. Those flights were suborbital, taking passengers into space and back, not orbiting the Earth.

"I never thought I would go to space, but this is like a dream come true. I feel like I am representing the ambitions of Saudi Arabians, women and researchers. It is an honor to be able to go to space and do what you love the most," Barnawi shared.

Axiom-2 is scheduled to return to Earth in early June, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean. It will only last 12 days, but the mission is packed with research projects. Some focus on rare atmospheric phenomena, while others are astronaut-focused, such as testing suits that help mitigate the effects of microgravity. The mission also includes experiments in the life sciences , such as studying the effects of microgravity on stem cells and cancer, areas Barnawi specializes in.

Thu Thao (According to IFL Science )

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