# Rayyanah Barnawi > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rayyanah_Barnawi > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rayyanah_Barnawi.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayyanah_Barnawi > Source revision: 1348229569 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Saudi astronaut (born 1988)}} {{Infobox astronaut | name = Rayyanah Barnawi | honorific_prefix = | honorific_suffix = | image =Rayyanah Barnawi (cropped).jpg | image_size =250px | alt = | caption = Barnawi in 2023 | type = | native_name = {{nobold|ريانة برناوي}} | native_name_lang = ar | nationality = | status = Active | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1988|9}} | birth_place = [Jeddah](/source/Jeddah), Saudi Arabia | death_date = | death_place = | resting_place = | resting_place_coords = | other_names = | occupation = | current_occupation = | previous_occupation = | alma_mater = | rank = | space_time = 9 days, 5 hours and 27 minutes | selection = 2023 | evas = | eva_time = | missions = [Axiom Mission 2](/source/Axiom_Mission_2) | insignia = | retirement = | awards = | memorials = | website = | module = | child = }} '''Rayyanah Barnawi''' ({{langx|ar|ريانة برناوي}}; born September 1988){{cite web |url=https://www.axiomspace.com/astronaut/rayyanah-barnawi |title=Meet Rayyanah Barnawi, Ax-2 Mission Specialist |publisher=Axiom Space |access-date=23 May 2023}}{{cite web |url=https://en.vogue.me/culture/rayyanah-barnawi-first-female-saudi-astronaut-space/ |title=Get to Know Rayyanah Barnawi, Saudi Arabia’s First Female Astronaut |work=[Vogue](/source/Vogue_(magazine)) |date=16 February 2023 }} is a biomedical researcher{{Cite web |date=14 February 2023 |title=Saudi Arabia to send its first woman astronaut into space |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/rayyanah-barnawi-saudi-arabia-female-astronaut-b2281763.html |access-date=14 February 2023 |website=The Independent |language=en}} and [astronaut](/source/astronaut). She is the first [Saudi](/source/Saudi_Arabia) female astronaut, selected for [Axiom Mission 2](/source/Axiom_Mission_2) as a mission specialist{{Cite web |last=Alaeva |first=Liliia |date=14 February 2023 |title=Saudi Arabia will send a woman into space for the first time |url=https://universemagazine.com/en/rayyanah-barnawi-will-become-the-first-woman-astronaut-from-saudi-arabia/ |access-date=14 February 2023 |website=Журнал The Universemagazine Space Tech |language=en-US}} by the [Saudi Space Commission](/source/Saudi_Space_Commission); her selection was officially announced on February 12, 2023.{{Cite web |title=In Line with Vision 2030, the Kingdom Returns to Space by Sending a Male and Female Astronaut to the International Space Station The official Saudi Press Agency |url=https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2425562#2425562 |access-date=14 February 2023 |website=www.spa.gov.sa}} ==Education and research== She holds a Bachelor's degree in biomedical sciences from [University of Otago](/source/University_of_Otago). She also holds a Master's degree in Biomedical Sciences from [Alfaisal University](/source/Alfaisal_University), where she studied the adhesion of breast cancer stem cells. ==Astronaut== At the time of her selection, she worked as a research laboratory technician at the [King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre](/source/King_Faisal_Specialist_Hospital_and_Research_Centre) in [Riyadh](/source/Riyadh). As part of the mission, she conducted mission experiments in her field.{{Cite web |author1=Mike Wall |date=13 February 2023 |title=SpaceX to launch 1st Saudi woman to space on private Ax-2 mission |url=https://www.space.com/first-saudi-arabian-woman-space-spacex-ax-2 |access-date=14 February 2023 |publisher=[Space.com](/source/Space.com)}} On May 22, 2023, Barnawi arrived at the International Space Station on board SpaceX ship [Crew Dragon ''Freedom''](/source/Crew_Dragon_Freedom).{{Cite news |date=22 May 2023 |title=First Arab female astronaut reaches space station |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-65671485 |publisher= [BBC](/source/BBC)}} She is the first Saudi woman in spacehttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/22/spacex-sends-saudi-astronauts-including-first-arab-woman-to-iss#:~:text=News%7CSpace-,SpaceX%20sends%20Saudi%20astronauts%2C%20including%20first%20Arab%20woman%2C%20to%20ISS,woman%20to%20go%20to%20space.&text=A%20private%20rocket%20carrying%20the,International%20Space%20Station%20(ISS). and is considered as the 600th person to fly in Earth orbit.[http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-052123a-600th-person-earth-orbit-ax2-launch.html 600th person to orbit Earth lifts off on Ax-2 mission to space station] In 2024 she received the Visionary Award of the [Middle East Institute](/source/Middle_East_Institute).[https://www.mei.edu/blog/i-voiced-arabic-greeting-voyagers-golden-record-international-space-cooperation-offers-model I voiced the Arabic greeting on Voyager’s Golden Record: International space cooperation offers a model for peace in today’s Middle East] == See also == * [History of women in aviation in Saudi Arabia](/source/History_of_women_in_aviation_in_Saudi_Arabia) ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Authority control}} {{Portal bar|Spaceflight|Saudi Arabia}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Barnawi, Rayyanah}} Category:1988 births Category:21st-century Saudi Arabian women scientists Category:21st-century Saudi Arabian scientists Category:Living people Category:People from Jeddah Category:Saudi Arabian astronauts Category:Saudi Arabian people of African descent Category:Alfasial University alumni Category:University of Otago alumni Category:Women astronauts Category:Axiom Space people --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rayyanah Barnawi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayyanah_Barnawi) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayyanah_Barnawi?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.