Ali AlQarni (; born March 1992) is a Saudi Air Force pilot and astronaut who was selected for
Axiom Mission 2
Axiom Mission 2 (or Ax-2) was a private crewed spaceflight operated by Axiom Space. Ax-2 was launched on 21 May 2023 on a SpaceX Falcon 9, successfully docking with the International Space Station (ISS) on 22 May.
After eight days docked to t ...
by the
Saudi Space Agency; his selection was officially announced on February 12, 2023.
He holds a bachelor's degree in aeronautical sciences from
King Faisal Air Academy
The King Faisal Air Academy () is a military officers' academy and flight school in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia founded in 1968.
History
Founded on 10 January 1968, by Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Defense and Aviation, King Faisal Air Acad ...
. He is a captain in the
Royal Saudi Air Force
The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF; ) is the military aviation, aviation branch of the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabian Armed Forces.
The Royal Saudi Air Force currently has wings, squadrons, and a special forces unit dedicated to comba ...
, where he pilots the
F-15SA. He has logged 2,387 hours of flying time.
Astronaut
On May 22, 2023, AlQarni arrived at the
International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...
aboard SpaceX ship
Crew Dragon ''Freedom'' with fellow Saudi astronaut
Rayyanah Barnawi,
John Shoffner, and former
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
astronaut
Peggy Whitson
Peggy Annette Whitson (born February 9, 1960) is an American biochemistry researcher, and astronaut working for Axiom Space. She retired from NASA in 2018, after serving as Chief Astronaut. Over all her missions, Whitson accumulated a total of ...
. During his eight-day stay in the International Space Station, he conducted several experiments and outreach events.
Related Pages
*
Saudi Space Agency
*
Rayyanah Barnawi
References
1992 births
Living people
People from 'Asir Province
Saudi Arabian astronauts
Saudi Arabian military aviators
21st-century Saudi Arabian people
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