Sultan bin Salman Al Saud
His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 June 1956 |
| Nationality | Saudi Arabian |
| Alma mater | University of Denver Syracuse University |
| Occupation(s) | Chairman of the Board of Directors, Saudi Space Commission |
| Spouse | Princess Haifa bint Saud Al Faisal |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents |
|
| Occupation | Fighter pilot |
| Space career | |
| Payload Specialist | |
| Rank | Colonel, Royal Saudi Air Force |
Time in space | 7d 01h 38m |
| Missions | STS-51-G |
Mission insignia | |
Sultan bin Salman Al Saud (Arabic: سلطان بن سلمان آل سعود; born 27 June 1956) is a Saudi prince, former Royal Saudi Air Force pilot, and astronaut. He is the eldest surviving son of King Salman.[1]
Astronaut career
Sultan flew aboard the American STS-51-G Space Shuttle mission in 1985 as a payload specialist. He was the first royal, the first Arab, and the first Muslim to fly in space, as well as the youngest person (at age 28) to fly aboard the Space Shuttle at that time.[1]
At the time of the mission, he had logged over 1,000 flight hours. As of 2020, he had over 8,000 hours of flight time in both military and civilian aircraft.[2]
He also helped establish the Association of Space Explorers, an international organization of astronauts and cosmonauts.
Later life
On 27 December 2018, he was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Space Commission at the rank of minister.[3]
Personal life
Sultan was born in Riyadh on 27 June 1956,[4][5] the second son of Prince Salman (later King of Saudi Arabia) and Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi.[6]
He is married to Princess Haifa, daughter of Saud Al-Faisal, the former Saudi Foreign Minister and son of King Faisal.[7] They have three children.[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 John Lawton; Patricia Moody (January–February 1986). "A Prince in Space". Saudi Aramco World. 37 (1). Archived from the original on 7 May 2012.
- ↑ "Sultan Bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Other qualifications". Archived from the original on 11 November 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
- ↑ "A number of Royal Orders Issued". Saudi Press Agency. 27 December 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
- ↑ "Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz". Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiques. Archived from the original on 6 June 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ↑ "Biographies of international astronauts". Space Facts. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ↑ "Princess Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi dies". Arab News. 1 August 2011. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
- ↑ Sabri Sharaf (2001). The House of Saud in Commerce: A Study of Royal Entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia. Sharaf Sabri. p. 142. ISBN 978-81-901254-0-6.
- ↑ "Family tree of Sultan bin Salman". Datarabia. Retrieved 27 March 2012.