{"id":21970,"date":"2023-05-22T23:33:05","date_gmt":"2023-05-22T15:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/axiom-2-liftoffs-with-first-saudi-woman-astronaut\/"},"modified":"2023-05-22T23:33:05","modified_gmt":"2023-05-22T15:33:05","slug":"axiom-2-liftoffs-with-first-saudi-woman-astronaut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/axiom-2-liftoffs-with-first-saudi-woman-astronaut\/","title":{"rendered":"Axiom-2 liftoffs with first Saudi woman astronaut"},"content":{"rendered":"
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First Saudi female astronaut takes flight<\/h2>\n

Axiom-2\u2019s crew consisted of four members from two different countries. Of course, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson is commanding the mission, with the other US member being Dragon\u2019s pilot, John Shoffner. The other two crew members were professional astronauts from Saudi Arabia, which is not an ISS member country, nor does it have its own means of sending a crew into space. This is Axiom and SpaceX\u2019s unique opportunity in the current commercial market.<\/p>\n

Rayyanah Barnawi, a biomedical engineer, is officially now the first female Saudi to reach space. A milestone moment for the Kingdom with Barnawi becoming an icon for other women to look up to back home, like Sally Ride did when she flew into space on a Space Shuttle in 1983.<\/p>\n

Barnawi will be busy during her eight-day stay on the ISS conducting research she already has over ten years of experience doing here on Earth, but this time in zero gravity. Her research will focus on stem cells and breast cancer, areas that have already been seen to be much easier to study while in space.<\/p>\n

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