The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has announced that Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi has successfully participated in the Dreams Experiment, onboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The experiment was held in partnership with European Space Agency (ESA), CNES the French space agency, and Toulouse University Hospital in France.
As part of the experiment, Sultan Al Neyadi was required to wear a sleep headband equipped with a sensor, that tracks sleep-related data, such as sleep cycle durations and heart rate variations.
The purpose of the experiment is to assess the sleep patterns of astronauts onboard the ISS as well as how the human body adapts in space.
As astronauts onboard the ISS experience 16 sunrises and sunsets a day, which affects the natural day and night cycle that people are accustomed to, sleep patterns can get disrupted.
The experiment aims to use the data collected to develop cognitive therapies for astronauts to improve sleep quality and their overall health, during extended space missions.
Adnan Al Rais, Mission Manager, UAE Astronaut Programme said, "This project, in partnership with ESA, CNES and Toulouse University Hospital, symbolises a crucial step forward in our understanding of the human body's adaptability in space. The knowledge we gain here is instrumental to the success of future long-duration space missions, including trips to the Moon and Mars. We are incredibly proud of the contributions made by the UAE towards the international space community."