Free Astronomy Magazine November-December 2022

22 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2022 ASTRO PUBLISHING by Majed M. Abu Zahra Jeddah Astronomy Society First Saudi woman to space in 2023 S audi Space Commission launched on 22 September 2022 the King- dom’s first astronaut program, dedicated to train Saudi competent personnel to undertake long- and short-term space flights. The pro- gram will enable Saudi astronauts to conduct scientific experiments and research for the betterment of hu- manity in priority areas such as health, sustainability and space tech- nology. The project is being hailed as Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s push for promoting sci- ence and technology under its wide- ranging ‘Vision 2030’ plan to overhaul its economy and reduce its dependency on oil.