Muhammed Ahmed Faris (Arabic: محمد أحمد فارس, Muḥammad ʾAḥmad Fāris; 26 May 1951 – 19 April 2024) was a Syrian military aviator and astronaut. He was the first Syrian and the second Arab in space.
Muhammed Faris | |
|---|---|
محمد أحمد فارس | |
 Faris in 2012 | |
| Born | 26 May 1951 |
| Died | 19 April 2024 (aged 72) Gaziantep, Turkey |
| Nationality | Syrian, Turkish |
| Other names | Muhammed Ahmed Adas |
| Occupation | Pilot |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union Order of Lenin Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration" |
| Space career | |
| Interkosmos Research Cosmonaut | |
| Rank | General, Syrian Air Force[1] |
Time in space | 7d 23h 04min |
| Selection | 1985 Intercosmos Group |
| Missions | Mir EP-1 (Soyuz TM-3 / Soyuz TM-2) |
Mission insignia |  |
Career
editBorn in Aleppo, Syria, he was a pilot in the Syrian Air Force with the rank of colonel. He specialized in navigation when he was selected to participate in the Intercosmos spaceflight program on 30 September 1985.
Faris flew as Research Cosmonaut in the Interkosmos program on Soyuz TM-3 to the Mir space station in July 1987, spending 7 days, 23 hours, and 5 minutes in space. He returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TM-2.
Faris is credited with carrying the first recorded Earth dirt into space, which was a vial carrying soil from Damascus.[2]
Faris was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union on 30 July 1987; he was also awarded the Order of Lenin.[3]
After his spaceflight, Faris returned to the Syrian Air Force and lived in Aleppo.
Syrian civil war
editOn 4 August 2012, during the Syrian civil war, Faris defected from Bashar al-Assad's regime and joined the armed opposition.[4][5]
On 13 September 2012, he had an exclusive interview with Al Aan TV and covered many topics regarding the ongoing civil war in Syria.[6] Faris was also part of the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change, an anti-Assad grouping.[7]
In a March 2016 interview as a Syrian refugee in Turkey, Faris stated regarding the ongoing civil war: "I tell Europe if you don't want refugees, then you should help us get rid of this regime," adding "I am very sorry about the Russian interference, which has stood on the side of dictator Bashar Assad, and has begun to kill the Syrian people with their planes".[8]
In September 2017, Faris was appointed Defense Minister of the Syrian Interim Government, a self-appointed opposition grouping.[9]
Personal life
editFaris moved with his family to Turkey in 2012 as a result of the Syrian civil war.[10] He obtained Turkish citizenship in 2020.[11] Faris had five children: four boys and one girl.[12]
Death
editFaris was admitted to Sanko Hospital in the Turkish province of Gaziantep after a heart attack in March 2024. He died on 19 April 2024 at the age of 72 and was burried in the rebel held city of Azaz in Northern Syria.[10][11][13]
See also
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References
edit- ^ "Syria's first astronaut defects to Turkey: report". ArabNews. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ "The first Syrian in space". 9 April 2015 – via The National.
- ^ (in Russian) Biography at the website on Heroes of the Soviet Union and Russia
- ^ "Syria's first astronaut defects to Turkey: report". ArabNews. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ رائد الفضاء اللواء محمد فارس يعلن انشقاقه on YouTube
- ^ Al Aan, Akhbar (13 September 2012). "لقاء خاص مع رائد الفضاء السوري المنشق محمد فارس". Akhbar Al Aan. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
- ^ Garthwaite, Rosie (1 March 2016). "From astronaut to refugee: how the Syrian spaceman fell to Earth". The Guardian.
- ^ "AP Interview: Syrian cosmonaut: Europe must help oust Assad". Associated Press. The Associated Press. 9 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ "Opposition Govt Appoints First Syrian Astronaut as Defense Minister".
- ^ a b "Cosmonaut Muhammed Faris, first Syrian in space, dies at 72". CollectSpace. 19 April 2024.
- ^ a b Kourdi, Eyad (21 April 2024). "'Armstrong of the Arab World': Syria's first astronaut Mohammad Faris dies in exile". CNN.
- ^ Ghazal, Rym (8 April 2015). "The first Syrian in space". The National.
- ^ "عارض "الأسد" وانحاز للثورة. وفاة رائد الفضاء السوري محمد فارس في تركيا". تلفزيون سوريا (in Arabic). 19 April 2024.