Astronauts have been living on the International Space Station for more than 20 years – eating, sleeping, bathing and using the toilet as their bodies float in microgravity.
And life on station, which orbits 400km above Earth, will be no different for UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi during his six-month stay.
The 41-year-old will launch on his first space mission on February 27, carrying traditional Emirati cuisines, photos of his family, the UAE flag and other personal items with him to make his environment a little less alien.
But there will be many new things the astronaut will have to get accustomed to – including drinking coffee made with processed and filtered urine and sweat.
Astronauts over the years have documented these daily routines to show the public how life is on the orbiting science laboratory.
The obvious question – is there a toilet?
The latest high tech toilet, worth $23 million, was installed on the ISS in 2020.
It is believed to be the most expensive toilet ever assembled, beating a $19 million order-made by Nasa in 2007.
The titanium toilet, called the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS), uses air flow to pull urine and faeces away from the body into separate containers.
A new feature is that the air flow starts automatically once the lid is lifted, which also helps with odour control.
It also has corrosion-resistant parts and an advanced design that requires less clean-up and maintenance time.
This means astronauts spend less time on plumbing to focus other tasks.
Astronauts use a funnel and hose for urine and the seat for bowel movements – both can be used at the same time.
The toilet has foot restraints and handholds that keeps the astronaut from floating away.
Toilet paper, wipes and gloves are disposed of in watertight bags.
Solid waste is kept in individual bags. Most of these are loaded on to a cargo ship and burnt on re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere, but some are brought back for evaluation.
The liquid is processed and filtered for consumption.
Water is heavy and storage space is limited on the ISS, so astronauts have to recycle almost everything, including urine and sweat.
It seems Dr Al Neyadi will have everything he needs in the bathroom, except for a shatafa.
Keeping clean
Water does not flow in a zero-gravity environment, so astronauts shower and brush their teeth differently.
This means installing a shower, faucet or sink on the ISS would be pointless because water would float away in the form of droplets.
Instead, Dr Al Neyadi will be using a wet towel containing body wash to clean himself.
To wash his hair, he will have to apply shampoo without water and wipe it off with a dry towel.
To brush his teeth, he can squeeze small amounts of water through a straw to rinse and then swallow.
More than just freeze-dried meals
Meals on the ISS have improved over the years, thanks to a new oven that was installed two years ago.
Astronauts have been baking cookies and using vegetables grown on the station as part of their diet.
But they mostly consume dehydrated food stored in packets. They add water to it or heat it in the oven, so it is ready to consume.
There are some ready-to-eat items, including fruit, bread and nuts.
Dr Al Neyadi has not yet revealed what his menu would include, but there will be some traditional Emirati cuisines.
During UAE astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri's trip in 2019, he took balaleet (an Emirati breakfast staple of sweetened vermicelli served with an omelette on top), salona (chicken stew) and madrooba (a savoury thick oatmeal).
Astronauts in space have 'food parties' in space sometimes, especially during holidays such as Thanksgiving, Eid or birthdays.
Fit as a fiddle
Exercising every day for about two hours is mandatory for astronauts to reduce the effects of zero gravity on their muscles and bones.
But they must use straps to keep themselves from floating away.
They do a lot of weight training using resistance exercise equipment, including vacuum cylinders that help mimic actual weights used on Earth.
On the treadmill, astronauts use rubber straps to hold their bodies down while they run.
They also use an ergometer – a bicycle without wheels.
Dr Al Neyadi is a fitness enthusiast, having trained in jiu-jitsu for many years, and he is taking his jiu-jitsu suit with him to space.
A good night's sleep
Dr Al Neyadi will have to restrain his body in a small sleeping compartment or sleeping bag to keep himself from floating away.
Astronauts in the past have also complained about a lot of noise on the ISS, including the sound of air-conditioning fans and machinery, so they use ear plugs.
Long distance relationships
Dr Al Neyadi is going on a long-duration mission, but he will be able to communicate with his family.
There is internet-enabled laptops on the ISS and astronauts can make voice calls and video calls to their loved ones.
However, they have to let mission control know first, so they can direct the satellite for the call.
This means family members cannot call Dr Al Neyadi spontaneously, as a satellite may be out of range.
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Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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More on animal trafficking
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
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1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
