Saudi Space Agency

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Saudi Space Commission)
Saudi Space Agency
وكالة الفضاء السعودية
Agency overview
AbbreviationSSA
FormedDecember 27, 2018; 5 years ago (2018-12-27)
TypeSpace agency
JurisdictionGovernment of Saudi Arabia
HeadquartersRiyadh, Saudi Arabia
Abdullah Alswaha
Chief Executive OfficerMuhammad al-Tamimi
Owner Saudi Arabia
WebsiteOfficial English Website

The Saudi Space Agency (SSA; Arabic: وكالة الفضاء السعودية), previously known as the Saudi Space Commission (SSC), is a Saudi independent government entity established by a royal order on December 27, 2018 and elevated to an agency on June 14, 2023.[1] The agency is chaired by Abdullah Alswaha, the Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology.[2]

Spaceflights[edit]

Prior to the establishment of the Saudi Space Agency, the only Saudi astronaut was prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, who flew aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1985 as a Payload Specialist on STS 51-G.

In 2022, the SSA partnered with American private spaceflight company Axiom Space to send two Saudi astronauts, including the first Saudi woman in space, to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon as part of Axiom Mission 2.[3] The astronauts selected were Ali AlQarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, with Ali AlGhamdi and Mariam Fardous as backups.[4]

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. ^ Bell, Jennifer (23 March 2023). "Saudi astronauts to research cancer, cloud seeding, microgravity in space". Al Arabiya English. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  4. ^ "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=1213726827"