Muslim Astronaut Weighing Up Ways to Fast During Space Mission
Sultan al-Neyadi will blast off on 26 February for the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The month of Ramadan, which will fall during his six-month journey, between March and April, is a challenge Neyadi is planning for.
"The ISS travels quickly... meaning it orbits around the Earth in 90 minutes," the 41-year-old astronaut told reporters in Dubai. "On average, there are 16 sunrises and sunsets daily... When do you start and break your fast?"
Neyadi plans to stick to the GMT time used on the ISS.
"I will prepare for the month of Ramadan with the intention to fast," he said.
Islamic laws permit those who are on long-distance journeys or are unwell to abstain from fasting.
Neyadi, who served in the Emirati military for 20 years, is the second astronaut from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to travel to space after Hazzaa al-Mansoori's eight-day mission in 2019.
He studied electronics and communications engineering in Britain and then completed a PhD in data leakage prevention technology at Griffith University in Australia.
The astronaut said six months "may seem like a long time, but I don't mind because the schedule is packed."
He will be studying the impacts of microgravity on the human body in preparation for future missions to the Moon and Mars.
Source: Middle East Eye
