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Sultan Al Neyadi Becomes The First Ever Arab To Spacewalk
The astronaut is on a 6-month mission aboard the International Space Station, orbiting 400 km above Earth.
At 17:41 GST on April 28, Sultan Al Neyadi entered the record books as the first Arab to walk in space. Al Neyadi, who arrived at the International Space Station on March 3 as part of a six-month mission, conducted a 6.5-hour spacewalk with American astronaut Stephen Bowen to carry out maintenance tasks and prepare for a solar array installation.
بعد ٣ سنوات من التدريب المكثف .. رأينا اليوم سلطان النيادي في أول مهمة للسير في الفضاء الخارجي.. وتنفيذ مهمات لتركيب أجزاء جديدة وإجراء صيانة في محطة الفضاء الدولية .. أول إماراتي .. أول عربي .. أول مسلم .. يسير في الفضاء الخارجي .. فخورين بذلك .
يقولون بأن ثلثي نجوم السماء… pic.twitter.com/acxJvVGNDy— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) April 28, 2023
UAE President and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid, was quick to tweet about Al Neyadi’s achievement: “With this week’s discoveries by the Hope probe, the achievements of the Rashid rover mission, and Sultan Al Neyadi’s first-ever spacewalk by an Arab astronaut, the UAE continues to make a meaningful contribution to space exploration and advancements in science”.
Also Read: Emirates Just Unveiled The World’s First Robot Check-In Assistant
Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid noted that the astronaut was both the first Arab and first Muslim to walk in space before tweeting some inspiring words to his followers: “Arabs are capable… Arabs are coming… Arabs are creative if we decide to focus on science and invest in youth”.
News
Samsung Smart Glasses Teased For January, Software Reveal Imminent
According to Korean sources, the new wearable will launch alongside the Galaxy S25, with the accompanying software platform unveiled this December.
Samsung appears poised to introduce its highly anticipated smart glasses in January 2025, alongside the launch of the Galaxy S25. According to sources in Korea, the company will first reveal the accompanying software platform later this month.
As per a report from Yonhap News, Samsung’s unveiling strategy for the smart glasses echoes its approach with the Galaxy Ring earlier this year. The January showcase won’t constitute a full product launch but will likely feature teaser visuals at the Galaxy S25 event. A more detailed rollout could follow in subsequent months.
Just in: Samsung is set to unveil a prototype of its augmented reality (AR) glasses, currently in development, during the Galaxy S25 Unpacked event early next year, likely in the form of videos or images.
Additionally, prior to revealing the prototype, Samsung plans to introduce…
— Jukanlosreve (@Jukanlosreve) December 3, 2024
The Galaxy Ring, for example, debuted in January via a short presentation during Samsung’s Unpacked event. The full product unveiling came later at MWC in February, and the final release followed in July. Samsung seems to be adopting a similar phased approach with its smart glasses, which are expected to hit the market in the third quarter of 2025.
A Collaborative Software Effort
Samsung’s partnership with Google has played a key role in developing the smart glasses’ software. This collaboration was first announced in February 2023, with the device set to run on an Android-based platform. In July, the companies reiterated their plans to deliver an extended reality (XR) platform by the end of the year. The software specifics for the XR device are expected to be unveiled before the end of December.
Reports suggest that the smart glasses will resemble Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in functionality. They won’t include a display but will weigh approximately 50 grams, emphasizing a lightweight, user-friendly design.
Feature Set And Compatibility
The glasses are rumored to integrate Google’s Gemini technology, alongside features like gesture recognition and potential payment capabilities. Samsung aims to create a seamless user experience by integrating the glasses with its broader Galaxy ecosystem, starting with the Galaxy S25, slated for release on January 22.