UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi is fighting ‘hitchhikers’ in space

Dubai: On Tuesday, UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, who is serving the longest Arab space mission on the International Space Station (ISS), disclosed a crucial duty he performs there: battling microbial hitchhikers in orbit.

Al Neyadi, the flight engineer for Expedition 69, said in a social media post that the International Space Station receives millions of bacteria annually.

“This is why it’s important for us to monitor the ISS cabin for airborne bacteria and fungi in order to protect our health and study their behavior,” he stated.

Along with the post, Al Neyadi posted two photographs, describing them as follows: “Here I am watching this Petri dish to detect any contamination.”

Researchers evaluate several safety and health measures for astronauts on long-duration missions aboard the International Space Station. Real-time diagnosis and treatment of astronaut illnesses may be made possible with the help of the ability to identify bacteria in space.

By helping humans on Earth gain a better knowledge of how bacteria operate in a sterile, isolating, and constrained environment, these studies also assist humans.