UAE Astronauts Interact With Students At The Potomac School In McLean

MCLEAN, VA — Students at The Potomac School got chance to interact with Emirati astronauts Hazzaa AlMansoori and Sultan Al Neyadi on March 7. The astronauts stopped by the McLean school on their way to meetings in Washington, D.C.

AlMansoori, who was he first Emirati to go into space, travelled to the International Space Station in 2019. Al Neyadi was a member of UAE's second mission in 2023 and was the first Arab to participate in a long-duration mission.

“The UAE has been collaborating with NASA for years, gaining valuable experience, building strong friendships, and working towards common goals together," Al Neyadi told the students.

During their visit, the two astronauts fielded questions, shared personal videos and discussed their experiences in space.

AlMansoori talked about the challenges of adapting to Russia's freezing temperatures during training, learning a new language, and being separated from his family.

“Their personal reflections brought the wonder of space exploration to life and undoubtedly
sparked a fire of curiosity," said. Head of School John Kowalik. "We are incredibly grateful to Emirati astronauts Sultan Al Neyadi and Hazzaa AlMansoori for giving Potomac students this rare opportunity to connect."

After their visit, the two astronauts went to Washington, D.C. to meet with representatives from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center and NASA. The participated in a forum to celebrate the “shared commitment to expand cooperation and advance scientific and technical collaboration in the fields of human space exploration and aeronautics research," according to release from the UAE Embassy.