Space Station Welcomes 2 Saudi Visitors, Including Kingdom’s 1st Female Astronaut
This photo provided by NASA, astronauts NASA's Nicole Mann and Japan's Koichi Wakata venture out on a spacewalk at the International Space Station on Friday, Jan. 20, 2023. Their job was to install support struts for small solar panels launching this summer, part of a continuing effort by NASA to expand the space station's power grid. (NASA via AP)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A private flight carrying two Saudi astronauts and other visitors has arrived at the International Space Station.
The SpaceX capsule pulled up at the orbiting lab Monday, less than 16 hours after blasting off from Florida.
Saudi Arabia’s first female astronaut is among the four moving in for just over a week.
The kingdom also bought a ticket for a Saudi fighter pilot.
A Tennessee businessman is paying his own way.
And a retired NASA astronaut is their chaperone.
The Houston company that organized the trip is not divulging the ticket prices.
The four visitors will return to Earth with a splashdown off the Florida coast.
