Space: two Saudi astronauts take off for the International Space Station, a first

Two Saudi astronauts, a man and a woman, took off for the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday May 21. They took off from Cape Canaveral (Florida, United States), as part of a private mission organized by the American company Axiom Space. At 34, Rayana Barnawi, a scientist by training, is the first Saudi astronaut, and is part with her compatriot, Ali Al-Qarni, of the first two Saudis to take off for the ISS.

A strong symbol for women’s rights

In Saudi Arabia, where women have only been allowed to drive for five years, this space mission is a strong symbol. Since April 2016, Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince, has launched an economic and social reform plan entitled “Vision 2030”, to change the image of the country. The Saudi Space Authority was created in 2018, and a program to send astronauts into space was launched last year. But above all, diversity has been introduced into the public space, and women now have the right to study, travel and work without the authorization of their male guardian.