Sultan bin Salman Al Saud
Sultan bin Salman Al Saud (Arabic: سلطان بن سلمان آل سعود; Sulṭān bin Salmān Āl Suʿūd; born 27 June 1956) is a Saudi prince. He is also a former Royal Saudi Air Force pilot. He is the oldest surviving son of King Salman.[1]
His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 27 June 1956 |
| Nationality | Saudi Arabian |
| Alma mater | University of Denver Syracuse University |
| Occupation | Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Space Commission |
| 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 |  |
Astronaut career
changeSultan flew aboard the American STS-51-G Space Shuttle mission as a payload specialist. He is the first member of a royal family to fly in space,[1] the first Arab to fly in space,[1] and the first Muslim to fly in space, as well as (at 28 years old) the youngest person ever to fly on the Space Shuttle.[1]
At the time of his space flight, Sultan had over 1,000 hours of flight time; as of February 2020, he has over 8,000 flight hours as a military and civilian pilot.[2]
He helped create the Association of Space Explorers, an international organization made-up of all astronauts and cosmonauts who have been in space.
Later life
changeOn 27 December 2018, he was appointed as chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Space Commission at the rank of minister.[3]
Personal life
changeSultan was born in Riyadh on 27 June 1956,[4][5] as the second son of Prince Salman, then governor of Riyadh province and now King of Saudi Arabia.[6] His mother was Sultana bint Turki Al Sudairi.[7]
Sultan bin Salman is married to Princess Haifa, daughter of Prince Saud bin Faisal, the former minister of foreign affairs of Saudi Arabia and the son of King Faisal.[8] They have three children.[9]
References
change- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 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.
- ↑ "Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz". Official Website. Archived from the original on 6 July 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ↑ "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.
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