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The Soyuz MS-15 rocket carrying three crew members of the International Space Station (ISS) flies moments after blasting off to the ISS from the launch pad of the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 25, 2019. Vyacheslav Oseledko / AFP

Hazza Al Mansouri waves from inside a bus during a farewell ceremony outside the Cosmonauts' hotel on his way to the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 25, 2019. Vyacheslav Oseledko / AFP

UAE astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri waves as he boards the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft before its blasts off for the ISS, on September 25. Maxim Shipenkov / AFP

Hazza Al Mansouri, centre, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka, bottom, and US astronaut Jessica Meir, top, members of the main crew to the International Space Station (ISS), board the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft for the launch at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 25, 2019. Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP

Major Hazza Al Mansouri, Commander Oleg Skripochka and Jessica Meir walk to the launch pad at Baikonur Cosmodrome two hours before blast-off. Shamil Zhumatov / Reuters

The Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft in the early morning hours ahead of launch on September 25, 2019. Bill Ingalls / Nasa / AFP

The Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft for the new International Space Station (ISS) crew, comprising Jessica Meir of the US, Oleg Skripochka of Russia and Hazza Al Mansouri of UAE, is transported from an assembling hangar to the launchpad ahead of its launch, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 23, 2019. Shamil Zhumatov / Reuters

An Emirati official looks on as the MS-15 spacecraft and the rocket carrying it is installed on the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Monday, ahead of the launch on Wednesday evening. Maxim Shipenkov / EPA

The Soyuz booster rocket FG with Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft is rolled out to the launch pad with a train at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on 23 September 2019. Maxim Shipenkov / EPA

The Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz MS-15 space ship blasts off at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 25, 2019 at 5.56pm UAE time. The rocket carries US astronaut Jessica Meir, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka and Emirati astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri. Dmitri Lovetsky / AP

The Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft is seen in this long exposure photograph as it launches with Expedition 61 crew members Jessica Meir of NASA and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos, and Hazza Al Mansouri of the United Arab Emirates on September 25, 2019 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Bill Ingalls / NASA via Getty

The Soyuz MS-15 rocket carrying three crew members of the International Space Station (ISS) flies moments after blasting off to the ISS from the launch pad of the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 25, 2019. Vyacheslav Oseledko / AFP

Hazza Al Mansouri waves from inside a bus during a farewell ceremony outside the Cosmonauts' hotel on his way to the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 25, 2019. Vyacheslav Oseledko / AFP

UAE astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri waves as he boards the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft before its blasts off for the ISS, on September 25. Maxim Shipenkov / AFP

Hazza Al Mansouri, centre, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka, bottom, and US astronaut Jessica Meir, top, members of the main crew to the International Space Station (ISS), board the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft for the launch at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 25, 2019. Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP

Major Hazza Al Mansouri, Commander Oleg Skripochka and Jessica Meir walk to the launch pad at Baikonur Cosmodrome two hours before blast-off. Shamil Zhumatov / Reuters

The Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft in the early morning hours ahead of launch on September 25, 2019. Bill Ingalls / Nasa / AFP

The Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft for the new International Space Station (ISS) crew, comprising Jessica Meir of the US, Oleg Skripochka of Russia and Hazza Al Mansouri of UAE, is transported from an assembling hangar to the launchpad ahead of its launch, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 23, 2019. Shamil Zhumatov / Reuters

An Emirati official looks on as the MS-15 spacecraft and the rocket carrying it is installed on the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Monday, ahead of the launch on Wednesday evening. Maxim Shipenkov / EPA

The Soyuz booster rocket FG with Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft is rolled out to the launch pad with a train at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan on 23 September 2019. Maxim Shipenkov / EPA

The Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz MS-15 space ship blasts off at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 25, 2019 at 5.56pm UAE time. The rocket carries US astronaut Jessica Meir, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka and Emirati astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri. Dmitri Lovetsky / AP

The Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft is seen in this long exposure photograph as it launches with Expedition 61 crew members Jessica Meir of NASA and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos, and Hazza Al Mansouri of the United Arab Emirates on September 25, 2019 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Bill Ingalls / NASA via Getty

The Soyuz MS-15 rocket carrying three crew members of the International Space Station (ISS) flies moments after blasting off to the ISS from the launch pad of the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on September 25, 2019. Vyacheslav Oseledko / AFP

The day the UAE sent its first astronaut to space

A flash of light at the Baikonur Cosmodrome and, nine minutes later, astronaut Maj Hazza Al Mansouri was in orbit

September 24, 2020

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