Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud
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| Astronaut | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Saudi |
| Born | June 27, 1956 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Occupation1 | Fighter pilot |
| Rank | Colonel, Royal Saudi Air Force |
| Space time | 7d 01h 38m |
| Selection | 1985 |
| Mission(s) | STS-51-G |
| Mission insignia |  |
| 1 previous or current | |
| Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud |
|---|
| House of Saud |
| Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz al Saud |
Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (Arabic: سلطان بن سلمان بن عبد العزيز آل سعود ) is an astronaut and a payload specialist in NASA nomenclature. He is a grandson of King Ibn Saud and was in 1985 the first and remains to this day the only Saudi citizen in space. He was also the first Arab, the first Muslim and the first member of royalty in space. [1]
[edit] Background
Prince Sultan was born June 27, 1956, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He completed his elementary and secondary education in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Master's Degree in Social and Political Science-The Maxwell School of Syracuse University, USA. He is a certified civil pilot (FAA, USA-1976) and a fighter pilot, Colonel (retired)- Royal Saudi Air Force.
[edit] Experience
Current Activities: Member of the Board and Secretary General (with the Rank of Minister), The Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT), KSA. Chairman of the Board of Directors, The Disabled Children Association (DCA), KSA Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Prince Salman Center for Disability Research (PSCDE), KSA Founder and President, Al Turath, KSA (an organization dedicated to the preservation and development of Saudi national heritage) Founder and Chairman of the Board, The Saudi Aviation Club Chairman of the Executive Committee, The Prince Salman Science Oasis (The Riyadh Science Foundation) Founding Member and Member of the Board, The Graduates Society of Model Institute of the Capital, Riyadh, KSA Member of the Executive Committee Development Ad-Diriyah, KSA Member of the Board of Trustees, King AbdulAziz Foundation-al Madinah al-Monawarah, KSA.
Previous Involvements: In 1982, he was appointed to the position of researcher in the Department of International Communications at the Ministry of Information in Saudi Arabia.
In 1984, he served as Deputy Director for the Saudi Arabian Olympic Information Committee at the Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Later that year, when the Department of Advertising was created at the Ministry of Information, he was appointed its Acting Director.
In 1985, he flew as a Payload Specialist on STS-51-G Discovery (June 17-24, 1985). As one of a seven member international crew, which also included American and French astronauts, he represented the Arab Satellite Communications Organization (ARABSAT) in deploying their satellite, ARABSAT-1B.
Upon conclusion of his space flight, he helped in founding the Association of Space Explorers, an international organization comprising all astronauts and cosmonauts who have been in space, and served on its Board of Directors for several years.
In 1985 he was commissioned as an officer into the Royal Saudi Air Force. He holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and is qualified in several military and civilian aircraft.
In 1989 and then again in 1992 he was elected to the position of Chairman of the Saudi Benevolent Association for Handicapped Children, where he also served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Prince Salman Center for Handicapped Research.
In 1991 he accepted an invitation from the Board of Directors of the Saudi Computer Society to become Honorary Chairman, and in 1993 due to his special interest in architecture he agreed to serve as Honorary President of the al-Umran Saudi Association (a society of specialists in the fields of the built environment).
