The first Emirati astronaut blasted off to space on Wednesday evening and was heading towards the International Space Station at 13,000kph as his proud his country looked on.

Major Hazza Al Mansouri made history as he climbed the steps of the Soyuz rocket, giving a final wave to relatives and television crews before a 5.57pm take-off from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

He and fellow astronauts, Russian commander Oleg Skripochka and Nasa’s Jessica Meir, reached the ISS at 11.42pm. After a series of checks, the astronauts disembarked the Soyuz at 2.12am and joined the six astronauts already at the ISS.

The astronauts gathered around to speak to Mission Control Center, Houston, before signing off so they could settle into their new environment.

Major Al Mansouri will stay on for eight days, returning to Earth on October 3.
"God protect you. Send my regards to the people of the UAE."
Dr Ahmad Al Falasi, chairman of the UAE Space Agency, returned his message from Baikonur Cosmodrome, where the Soyuz rocket launched from at 5.57pm UAE time.
"Hazza, this is Ahmad Al Falasi, we send you greetings from ll the people here in Baikonur and in the UAE," said Dr Al Falasi, also Minister of State for Higher Education.
"The way you can see the Earth completely, all Emiratis can you see completely. You have raised our heads high, congratulations."Hazza says 'salaam alaikum' to the world
The first Emirati astronaut in space greeted the world with a 'salaam alaikum' as he prepared to clamber aboard the International Space Station, eight hours after a historic blast off from Earth.
Maj Hazza Al Mansouri spoke to mission control as he waited for the air lock between Soyuz MS-15 and the ISS to open at 2.20am UAE time.
"We are grateful to have reached the ISS and ilhamdillah everything is good," he said in Arabic.
"The Earth is beautiful from this place. It is small but I can see a small part of it.