
UAE Ambassador to the US and Minister of State, His Excellency Yousef Al Otaib, gives remarks during an event celebrating UAE-US collaboration in space, Friday, March 8, 2024, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

UAE Ambassador to the US and Minister of State, His Excellency Yousef Al Otaib and others listen as UAE astronaut and Minister of Youth, H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Neyadi, gives remarks during an event celebrating UAE-US collaboration in space, Friday, March 8, 2024, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

UAE Ambassador to the US and Minister of State His Excellency Yousef Al Otaib, left, and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, talk during an event celebrating UAE-US collaboration in space, Friday, March 8, 2024, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

UAE Ambassador to the US and Minister of State, His Excellency Yousef Al Otaib and others listen as NASA Administrator Bill Nelson gives remarks during an event celebrating UAE-US collaboration in space, Friday, March 8, 2024, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

UAE Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Advanced Science and Technology, Omran Sharaf, left, NASA associate administrator Jim Free, National Space Council Executive Secretary Chirag Parikh, NASA associate administrator for International and Interagency Relations Karen Feldstein, Director General, UAE Space Agency Salem Al Qubaisi, UAE Ambassador to the US and Minister of State His Excellency Yousef Al Otaib, UAE astronaut and Minister of Youth, H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Neyadi, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Director General, Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre Salem AlMarri, and UAE astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri, right, pose for a group photograph during an event celebrating UAE-US collaboration in space, Friday, March 8, 2024, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

From left to right, NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and UAE Ambassador to the US and Minister of State, Yousef Al Otaib are seen prior to an Iftar dinner, Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the UAE Embassy in Washington. Bowen and Alneyadi spent 186 days aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 69. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen, right, presents a gift to UAE (United Arab Emirates) Ambassador to the US and Minister of State, Yousef Al Otaib following an Iftar dinner, Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the UAE Embassy in Washington. Bowen spent 186 days aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 69. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

UAE (United Arab Emirates) Ambassador to the US and Minister of State, Yousef Al Otaib, second from left, delivers remarks during an Iftar dinner with with UAE astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Stephen Bowen, and guests, Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the UAE Embassy in Washington. Bowen and Alneyadi spent 186 days aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 69; while Rubio set a new record for the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut, spending 371 days in orbit on an extended mission spanning Expeditions 68 and 69. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

NASA Associate Administrator for International and Interagency Relations Karen Feldstein, left, speaks with UAE (United Arab Emirates) Ambassador to the US and Minister of State, Yousef Al Otaib, during an Iftar dinner with UAE astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Frank Rubio, and guests, Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the UAE Embassy in Washington. Bowen and Alneyadi spent 186 days aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 69; while Rubio set a new record for the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut, spending 371 days in orbit on an extended mission spanning Expeditions 68 and 69. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Stephen Bowen, UAE Ambassador to the US and Minister of State, Yousef Al Otaib, and guests are seen during an Iftar dinner, Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the UAE Embassy in Washington. Alneyadi spent 186 days aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 69; while Rubio set a new record for the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut, spending 371 days in orbit on an extended mission spanning Expeditions 68 and 69. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, second from right, delivers remarks during an Iftar dinner with NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Stephen Bowen, UAE Ambassador to the US and Minister of State, Yousef Al Otaib, and guests, Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the UAE Embassy in Washington. Bowen and Alneyadi spent 186 days aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 69; while Rubio set a new record for the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut, spending 371 days in orbit on an extended mission spanning Expeditions 68 and 69. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Stephen Bowen, UAE Ambassador to the US and Minister of State, Yousef Al Otaib, and guests are seen during an Iftar dinner, Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the UAE Embassy in Washington. Alneyadi spent 186 days aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 69; while Rubio set a new record for the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut, spending 371 days in orbit on an extended mission spanning Expeditions 68 and 69. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, second from right, delivers remarks during an Iftar dinner with NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Stephen Bowen, UAE Ambassador to the US and Minister of State, Yousef Al Otaib, and guests, Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the UAE Embassy in Washington. Bowen and Alneyadi spent 186 days aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 69; while Rubio set a new record for the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut, spending 371 days in orbit on an extended mission spanning Expeditions 68 and 69. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, second from right, delivers remarks during an Iftar dinner with NASA astronauts Frank Rubio and Stephen Bowen, UAE Ambassador to the US and Minister of State, Yousef Al Otaib, and guests, Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the UAE Embassy in Washington. Bowen and Alneyadi spent 186 days aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 69; while Rubio set a new record for the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut, spending 371 days in orbit on an extended mission spanning Expeditions 68 and 69. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

From left to right, UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, UAE Ambassador to the US and Minister of State, Yousef Al Otaib, and NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen are seen prior to an Iftar dinner, Thursday, March 21, 2024, at the UAE Embassy in Washington. Alneyadi spent 186 days aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 69; while Rubio set a new record for the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut, spending 371 days in orbit on an extended mission spanning Expeditions 68 and 69. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)