Astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni have been launched into space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket taking the dreams of all Saudi citizens high

Astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Al Qarni have been launched into space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in a historic event that carries the aspirations of all Saudi residents to soar high on board.

At 12:37 a.m. on Sunday, the astronauts launched from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Dragon spacecraft will travel for 16 hours to reach the ISS, where it will arrive on Monday at 4:30 p.m.

The first Saudi space mission in over 40 years saw the astronauts launch with the hopes of their ecstatic country, their proud families, and the whole populace.

On Monday, Barnawi and Al Qarni are anticipated to join Sultan Al-Neyadi of the United Arab Emirates, another Arab astronaut. It will be the first time astronauts from two different Arab nations have interacted on the ISS. A few days before to the launch, Al-Neyadi wished Barnawi and Al Qarni well on Twitter.

The astronauts intend to spend eight days on board the orbiting laboratory after they have docked, doing a comprehensive mission that includes scientific, educational, and commercial tasks. Twenty experiments will be carried out by Barnawi and Al Qarni throughout their trip, including one looking at how to create artificial rain in future human settlements on the Moon and Mars, as well as one looking at how to forecast and prevent cancer.

Breast cancer researcher Barnawi and fighter pilot Ali Al Qarni set off for the International Space Station (ISS) on a personal mission to conduct a variety of studies. Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson and American pilot John Shoffner will accompany the pair.

Prior to the launch, Barnawi and Al Qarni could be seen grinning and waving as they made their way to the Dragon spaceship. The astronauts expressed their excitement and pride at the prospect of travelling to space on the Saudi expedition. Before getting on the launch vehicle, the pair said hello to everyone and their families.

At 12:30 a.m., NASA started streaming the launch live on its website and social media platforms, confirming that every astronaut was dressed in spacesuits and ready for takeoff. At about midnight, the Dragon spacecraft's hatch closed for takeoff. "Let Freedom fly," NASA commanded as the final "go" was given at ten minutes prior to takeoff.

The launch from Kennedy Space Centre was observed by Princess Reema bint Bandar, the Saudi ambassador to the United States, and Abdullah Al-Sawha, minister of communications and information technology and deputy head of the Supreme Space Council.

The crew will conduct 14 experiments with an emphasis on "human research, cell sciences, and cloud seeding experiments in the microgravity environment," according to the Saudi Press Agency. Participation in the mission by Saudi Arabia also aims to raise the profile of space science in the country. Students from Saudi Arabia, including men and women, will take part in research projects on the ISS. The crew will conduct 14 experiments with an emphasis on "human research, cell sciences, and cloud seeding experiments in the microgravity environment," according to the Saudi Press Agency. Participation in the mission by Saudi Arabia also aims to raise the profile of space science in the country. Students from Saudi Arabia, including men and women, will take part in research projects on the ISS.

Saudi Arabia initiated a programme to send people into space last year and founded the Saudi Space Commission in 2018. The team will conduct about 20 experiments while on the ISS. One of these includes examining how stem cells behave when there is no gravity. They will join the seven people currently aboard the ISS, including UAE astronaut Sultan Al-Neyadi, who last month became the first person from the Arab world to do a spacewalk, along with three Russians, three Americans, and three other astronauts.

The second trip to the ISS will be made by Axiom Space, a commercial space corporation that sells the extraordinary journeys for prices that can reach millions of dollars, in collaboration with ISS-key holder NASA. The Saudi astronauts' journey fits within the context of the country's astronaut programme, which aims to train seasoned Saudi cadres for space flights as well as to get them involved in undertaking scientific research, international missions, and future missions involving space.