Muhammed Faris Al-Aqidi
Who was Muhammed Faris Al-Aqidi?
Fighter pilot who became the first Syrian citizen in space, flying aboard Soyuz TM-3 to the Mir space station in 1987.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Muhammed Faris Al-Aqidi (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Muhammed Ahmed Faris, born on May 26, 1951, in Aleppo, Syria, became a notable figure in Syrian military and space history. He started as a military aviator and worked his way up in the Syrian Air Force to become an accomplished fighter pilot. His outstanding skills and technical knowledge caught the eye of Soviet space program officials during a time of strong Soviet-Syrian collaboration, which eventually led to his selection for cosmonaut training in the USSR.
Before Fame
Faris grew up in Aleppo during the mid-twentieth century, a time when Syria was experiencing fast political and military changes after gaining independence. He joined the Syrian Air Force and trained as a fighter pilot, a job that required strict discipline, technical skills, and physical endurance. His selection for the Soviet-Syrian joint space mission in the 1980s came from a wider Cold War program where the Soviet Union invited cosmonaut candidates from allied and friendly nations to fly aboard Soviet spacecraft. Faris stood out among the Syrian candidates considered for this role.
Key Achievements
- Became the first Syrian citizen in space, launching aboard Soyuz TM-3 in July 1987
- Was the second Arab person in history to travel to outer space
- Awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin in 1987 for his contributions to spaceflight
- Received the Medal for Merit in Space Exploration from the Russian Federation in 2011
- Honored with the Hero of the Republic, Syria's highest state distinction, in 1987
Did You Know?
- 01.Faris was the first Syrian and only the second Arab person to travel to space, following Saudi Arabian Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud who flew aboard a NASA Space Shuttle mission in 1985.
- 02.During his mission aboard Mir in 1987, Faris conducted scientific experiments in materials science and Earth observation as part of the Soviet Intercosmos program.
- 03.He received the Hero of the Soviet Union award, one of the USSR's highest state honors, in the same year as his spaceflight in 1987.
- 04.After the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, Faris defected from Syria in 2012 and lived in exile, ultimately dying in Gaziantep, Turkey, on 19 April 2024.
- 05.His spaceflight lasted approximately seven days and twenty-three hours, during which he traveled aboard Soyuz TM-3 to the Mir space station alongside Soviet cosmonauts Alexander Viktorenko and Alexander Alexandrov.
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Order of Lenin | 1987 | — |
| Hero of the Soviet Union | 1987 | — |
| Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration" | 2011 | — |
| Hero of the Republic | 1987 | — |