ABU DHABI, October 15. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged that Russia is willing to advance cooperation with the United Arab Emirates in the space field. The leader named satellite navigation and launching spacecraft into orbit as promising areas of cooperation.
"The space exploration cooperation has reached a new level," the Russian president said at the Russian-Emirati talks, extending congratulations to the UAE leadership after astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri successfully travelled to the International Space Station, becoming the first person from the UAE in space. "This breakthrough became possible due to our friendship and your effort to advance this very idea," Putin told Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
"We are willing to continue providing necessary assistance to the United Arab Emirates in the space field, including such spheres as satellite navigation and launching spacecraft into orbit," the Russian president underlined.
The first ever UAE astronaut in space, Hazza Al Mansouri, arrived to the ISS as part of the crew aboard the Soyuz MS-15 spaceflight launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome on September 25. On October 3, he returned back to Earth.
Hazza Al Mansouri earlier said in an interview with TASS that his ISS agenda included school curriculum experiments, which will help pupils to study micro-g environment (microgravity). A part of these experiments was planned not only in the interests of the UAE Space Agency but also Roscosmos, NASA and the European Space Agency.
The astronaut also shared his hope that following his mission UAE astronaut space flights will continue and they will travel longer and for further distances.
