Ali al-Qarni and Rayyanah Barnawi will part of the four-man crew Axiom-2 mission to blast off in May from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Saudi Space Commission has unveiled the official logo of the Kingdom’s scientific mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission will have on board the first Saudi and Arab Muslim female astronaut Rayana Bernawi, and Ali Al-Qarni who are also the first Saudi astronauts to reach the International Space Station, according to a report by Saudi Gazette.
The logo embodies the noble goals of the Kingdom’s scientific mission, which is centred on empowering people, protecting the planet and opening new horizons through the researches the astronauts will conduct in the fields of health and environmental sustainability.
The logo will be placed on the official uniform of the crew. It is customary for all space flights to have an official logo for each mission before the crew leaves the planet Earth into space.
The logo, which took a circular shape, features the Kingdom’s flag, representing the identity of the Saudi astronauts, and reflecting the Kingdom’s heritage, history, cultural specificity, and traditions. This is reflected on the logo through the green flag that symbolises the banner of Islam; the white colour which is the symbol of purity and on which the two Shahadahs (Islamic testimony) were written; and the drawn sword that is one of the manifestations of the authentic and ancient Saudi heritage that confirms firmness in applying justice.
The logo also highlights the Kingdom’s location on the world map. The Saudi flag appears alongside the names of the two Saudi astronauts Rayana Bernawi and Ali Al-Qarni to show the home of the astronauts within the mission. This comes in addition to two laser beams that launch from the Kingdom into space, symbolising the two Saudi astronauts. This is to give a motivational message to raise young Saudis’ interest in space science, create awareness about jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics jobs, qualify competencies, and promote higher education in space science.
The missions logo stresses the Kingdom’s aspirations and commitment to support space exploration efforts and reinforce the Saudi citizens role in space programmes with the aim of achieving the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which seeks to highlight the Kingdom’s position in the space sector and its technologies.
