By Ameya Paleja
UAE’s own astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi may have thought fondly of his family and his mother’s cooking during Iftar on Sunday, as he continues his sojourn on board the International Space Station (ISS).
If he chooses to fast, he would be following the Greenwich Mean Time (which is used as the official time zone on the space station) as he sees 16 sunsets daily at the orbiting laboratory.
For years now, astronauts have intended to follow religious pursuits while undertaking extraterrestrial missions.
In June 1985 at the age of 28, Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, who is a Saudi prince and former Royal Saudi Air Force pilot, was aboard Discovery when it launched into space on Nasa mission STS-51G.
Prince Sultan spent Eid Al Fitr on the space shuttle that year, and penned his thoughts extensively about fulfilling his religious duties.
In 2007, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, a Malaysian astronaut, stayed on the ISS. At that time, the Islamic National Fatwa Council of Malaysia reportedly issued special guidelines for him and other future Muslim astronauts.
The council also said that though his flight coincided with Ramadan, he could postpone fasting until he returned to Earth, or he could fast in accordance with the time zone of the place from which he had launched. He was even relieved of the obligation to kneel while praying, which is a challenging task in microgravity.
During a January press conference, AlNeyadi said if he had the opportunity, he would love to treat his colleagues to the famous Emirati hospitality.
He said, “Six-months in space is a great privilege and a big responsibility. Throughout the six months we will experience special occasions like Ramadan and Eid. So, I will be in the category of a traveler (where) fasting is not mandatory if you are unwell.”
“In this context, anything that can jeopardize the mission or put any of the crew members in a difficult or risky position (can be excused)… in such a scenario… we are allowed to eat sufficient food to prevent a situation that can adversely affect our health due to lack of nutrition or hydration. Fasting during Ramadan is actually good for the body and if the occasion permits, I would love to share some UAE meals with my fellow crew members.”
Al Neyadi added at the news conference, “We’ll wait and see how it goes.”
Three days ago, the 41-year-old had shared a video from space showing the sunset and the Ramadan crescent in the dark skies, delighting residents back on Earth. AlNeyadi opened the video by greeting his followers and wishing them a blessed Ramadan.
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Fasting in space? UAE astronaut aboard ISS sees 16 sunsets daily
Over the 30 days, as the sun sets over the western horizon, Muslims across the world will break their day-long fast. For centuries, this religious tradition has been followed the world over during the month of Ramadan.
However, for Sultan Alneyadi, the sun will set 16 times in a span of 24 hours, making it difficult to observe his fast.
41-year-old Alneyadi isn’t living on a different planet but isn’t technically on Earth either. As you read this, Alneyadi is traveling at 17,000 miles (27,600 kilometers) per hour onboard the International Space Station (ISS) as the second astronaut from the United Arab Emirates.
His scheduled six-month-long stay at the ISS presents an opportunity to discuss the future of religious practices in the space age.
How astronauts follow religions in space
While faith is a personal matter that no space agency or government needs to dictate terms about, how to observe it or follow religious practices while in space is something that warrants a much larger discussion.
The interpretation of religious texts and practices is often done by religious leaders who now have a new challenge since the world is rapidly changing.
This is not something that has gained attention due to Alneyadi’s trip. Way back in 2007, Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor was the first practicing Muslim to stay on the ISS.
The country’s national Islamic council offered him relief from kneeling on the ground while praying – a tough feat to achieve when in zero gravity.
Quite a number of astronauts have been Jewish, who, as per religious practices, need to observe Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest. This usually falls on a Saturday when an individual refrains from all work-related activity.
This is hard to imagine on the ISS, where astronauts are tasked with conducting hundreds of experiments or carrying out maintenance activities during their stay.
Similarly, observing the Jewish festival of Yom Kippur would require an astronaut to avoid using electricity or traveling in airspace, which is extremely difficult when in a spacecraft.
Religious heads have found solutions like observing a day over three days, depending on the location of the spacecraft. In the case of Alneyadi, he fits the definition of a “traveler,” which exempts him from fasting while onboard the ISS.
Moments before Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon in 1969, his crew mate Buzz Aldrin quietly took communion with a bite of bread and sip of wine, he had carried from Houston, the NASA website confirms.
There are always pockets of personal space where astronauts can follow their religion, even as they follow their scientific pursuits.
As humanity reaches out much further into space, religious practices, too, could evolve to keep up with the changing times. If an astronaut really wishes to fast or take a day off during a mission, guess Venus is the planet they will surely want to avoid. (Interesting Engineering)