Saudi Arabia’s 1st woman astronaut to blast off to space on May 21

Saudi Arabia’s first female astronaut will blast off to the International Space Station (ISS) on May 21, according to US space agency NASA.

Rayyanah Barnawi, a breast cancer researcher, along with male astronaut Ali AlQarni, will be part of Axiom Space 2 mission, which will be blasting off no earlier than 5.37pm (EDT time) on May 21, NASA said.

The 10-day mission was planned to take off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 8, before the launch was rescheduled to May 21 by NASA and Axiom Space.

The two Saudi astronauts are expected to join Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, who is on the ISS for a six-month mission.

Astronaut Peggy Whiston and business pioneer and pilot John Shoffner will also be part of the Axiom Space 2 mission.