Space Knight...

 OBBI 041130Z 31013KT 9999 FEW045 21/07 Q1016 NOSIG

Curious in nature and always hungry for knowledge, he started his life with dreams of amazement and adventure manifested out of the pages of childhood books he read. Stories of distant lands, worldly concepts and experiences, dreams of a vast universe with all it’s intricate complexities. A youthful hunger to see the unknown.

At a time of egotistical achievements. Nations boasted about their accomplishments in the most narcissistic manner. Coupled with the advent of Satellite communications, spreading the word was shameless,  cheap, and easy. Brazen self-promoting propaganda of achievements flooded the airwaves, with America and the Soviet in a constant top level spar.

In 1982, fate would bring this young man to the steps of his destiny. Aa a Syrian Air Force pilot at 32, casually conversing with one of his friends, he dreamt of an unattainable chance. He remembers being told that astronaut's need to have three things to qualify, Mental Strength, Physical Strength, and General Knowledge, plus it is preferred to be a Fighter pilot, as they are more acclimatized to the task.

With the aid of NASA, 1985 saw the ascension of Lt. Col Sultan bin Salman AlSaud to space. A Hero to the Arab world, and a conqueror of fear. That one act positioned Arabia and fixed the Kingdom of Saudi to the world stage, with pride. Not wanting to be left behind, the Soviets with their Interkosmos Program announced plans to send a Syrian to Space.

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المنصة فتحة ايديها, واهتز الصاروخ مندفعا رويدا رويدا إلى السماء. – مذيع القناة السورية

​The platform arms have opened, and with a rumble, the rocket gently pushes to the sky. – Syrian TV Reporter

After a long vetting process, and a year of testing and training. Syrian Air Force Lt. Col. Muhammed Faris, was one of four finalists to be presented to Damascus, for final assessment [Muhamed Faris – محمد فارس | Munir Habib – منير حبيب | Kamal AlArabi – كمال العربي | and Ahmed AlRatib – احمد الرطب].

Later to be one of two finalists presented to Moscow. Lt. Col. Faris and Lt. Col. Habib were set for another year in Star City [Zvozdnyy Gorodók], finalizing their training and conditioning at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center. Final assessment declared Lt. Col. Faris as Primary, with Lt. Col. Munir being the Backup.

الله معكم, السماء معكم, لقد فتحت أبوابها و جاءت مسرعة, جاءت مسرعة إليكم. – مذيع القناة السورية

God is with you, the Heavens are with you, the doors of heaven have opened, and they are coming in a rush, coming with haste towards you – Syrian TV Reporter

The scheduled trip would make Lt. Col. Faris the first Arab to rendezvous with an orbiting object, and first Arab to visit a space station, plus being the second Arab to visit space. A planned trip of about 8 days at a height of 216 miles, Faris, was in for the ride of his life!

In an interview conducted in 2006 on Sharjah TV, The now-retired Gen. Faris, reflects on the time and explains the spectrum of emotions, fear, and anxiety he had to face. The obvious being that of the perils to trip ahead, a tension of self-doubt to accomplishment, and the value of life realized; That which is most felt at the time of launch, and the critical point of reentry.

The second emotion was more of a burden. A feeling unanticipated until the moment the crew walked out to the Launch Platform. Prior to the that, the excitement of Space distracted any notion or thought outside the mission. A childish obsession with the promise of whats ahead.

Moments before the walkout, he recalls seeing the eyes of his countrymen and representatives swell up with tears of pride, as they wave him off. He felt the burden of a nation on his chest; here and now, is the time when the world will watch, as Muhammed Ahmed Faris, of Dar AlDalaleen, represent the Pride of a Nation.

جاءتك المساء يا محمد فارس, جاءتك السماء لتحتضن سوريا. – مذيع القناة السورية

Here comes the Sky Muhammed Faris, Here comes the Sky to embrace Syria – Syrian TV Reporter

2.5 hours of wait locked up in a capsule 50ft atop 350 tons of volatile liquid rocket fuel. Nothing to do but wait, Lt. Col. Faris maintains his composure at the point of stress. With him and symbolic of an offering, was a sample of Syrian wheat, and an ancient tablet with inscriptions to the oldest known alphabet. While waiting, his thoughts of family, friends, and Nation, build up. His fear for life, and burden of mission weighing on him.

The silence brakes to the soft whispers of Fairuz singing through his headset, followed by a surprise of warm messages from his wife and family singing and wishing him a safe trip. A parting gift from mother Russian, a final boost of encouragement presented to the comrade.

As the world waits with anticipation, and the clock endlessly ticks down the seconds. Research Cosmonaut Muhammed Faris is a calm 82 bpm, as the platform at Baikonur Cosmodrome pulls back and the engines roar with 838kN of thrust at the earth. On the 22nd of July, 1987 at 01:59 UTC Muhammed calls “Onwards!” “!يالله”, and thunders towards space.

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رائد الفضاء بينولد مرتين – محمد فارس

​An Astronaut is born twice – Muhammed Faris

After numerous calibrations to the trajectory, and a two day trip on board the Soyuz TM-3, the crew reach the Soviet Space Station Mir. With a cautious crawl, they approach the station to dock. A minor fault in the docking system reportedly hampered the entry of the crew to the Space station. Compelling them to push their way in with brute force; an act that imposed the symbolism of a second birth in space. Greeted by the resident crew of [Commander Yuri Romanenko | Flight Engineer Aleksandr Laveykin], Mir reports successful docking and safety of the crew.

إنني مسرور جداً وسعيد جداً, انني أرى بلدي الحبيب, أراه رائعاً جميلاً, كما هو في الحقيقة. إني أرى سواحله الجميلة الرائعة, إنني أرى جباله الخضراء الجميلة, وارى سهوله. أرى جبل الشيخ شامخ, و جولاننا الحبيب. إني أرى كل بقعتاً فيه رائعاً جميلاً, إنني جداً سعيداً لهذه المشاهد. – محمد فارس

I am excited and happy as I see my dear home, I see it amazing and with beauty, as it always is. I can see its shores with incredible beauty, I can see it’s wonderful green mountains, and it's plains. I can see Mount Shiek imposing in height, and our beloved Golan. I can see every spot in it wonderful with beauty, I am exhilarated to this sight. – Muhammed Faris

As the station flew over Arabia, Muhammed found himself with childish excitement, dazzled by the beauty of our home planet, he compares the sights to a visual warmth, similar to a mother's loving warmth. All maps merge into one, all nation appear as one, all people loved as one. No borders to separate, no differences to compare, nothing but one.

After a brief conversation with the former President Hafith AlAsad. Research Cosmonaut Muhammed Faris is off conducting and completing 13 scientific experiments. Along with countless photo surveys of Arabia, needless to say, he had his hands full. Headed by Syrian scientists, Faris aided in the development of new Alloys, added to the knowledge of human physiology in space, and provided detailed land surveys, to aid in the advancement of Arabia.

Being that Mir is a permanent Space station, the crew was provided and equipped with a number of basic comforts. With an Almost submariner camaraderie aboard the Spacecraft, the crew cheerfully supported each other, in spirit and strength. Often someone would play the guitar and the crew would join in song, reminiscing in the radiant love of home. The crew even had access to scheduled TV and Movies.

Utilizing the spacecraft that delivered the resident crew of Mir [Soyuz TM-2]. Muhammed Faris, Commander Aleksandr Viktorenko, and Flight Engineer Aleksandr Laveykin reconfigured the two-seater craft to accommodate three. After floating for 7 days in space and accomplishing the scheduled tasks, the capsule was loaded with the gathered data and setup for the trip home.

Strapped to their seats, the decent was delayed for 3 hours, due to reported high winds at the landing zone. Once the order was given, the docking hatch was locked and with the precision of 115.2sec of retrofire, the craft was directed and angled towards earth.

مثل التلميذ, أخر السنة, حامل نتائج الامتحان و فرحان وراجع لأهلة, ولكن الطريق مليء بالمخاطر. بدو يأخذ باله – محمد فارس

I felt like a student on the last day of school, with accomplished grades, excited to share my joy with my family, but the road is filled with perils. One needs to be cautious – Muhammed Faris

At reentry, Faris recalls the mix of turbulent emotions that ran through him. The joy of a successful mission, the embrace of loved ones, contrasted with the perils of the journey and the fact he’s in a bubble of plasma reaching temperatures of 3,500ºc.

They enter the atmosphere at a height of 400,000ft, beginning their 23 min descent to earth. Rough deceleration from the initial drogue chute disrupts 8 min of radio silence due to plasma interference. The primary chute is pulled with a tilt mechanism to help dissipate the heat gathered at reentry.

The craft is drifting down at a rate of 24 ft/sec, and with a final blast from six small rocket engines, the craft is cushioned for a safe touchdown. Although considerably off target due to the high winds, the crew is lovingly embraced by mother earth. 30th of July, 1987, at 01:04:12 UTC, 75 nm NE of Arkalyk.

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Hero of the Soviet | Order of Lenin | Hero to the Arabic Republic of Syria

Decorated with the title Hero of the Soviet Union, and awarded the Order of Lenin, Lt. Col. Muhammed Admed Faris Research Cosmonaut and Lt. Col. Munir Habibi backup Research Cosmonaut, return home with two Soviet Cosmonauts as guests to Arabia. Military Parades, Public Celebration, Meeting with the President and officials. Syria Decorates it’s son with the title Hero of the Arabic Republic of Syria, later to promote him to the rank of General...

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Muhammed Ahmed Faris is a man that added to the pride of Arabia. Our Nation is indebted to his sacrifices, and achievements. We should hold him at high pride, as a human to name our own. Yet, I am ashamed to admit, that his is a name I never heard before, and his struggles go deeper than the photo smiles. I hurt to know the story of this man, but now I find it an inspiration, and a lesson to learn from.

I hope our Nation wakes up as a People one day..

Muhammed Ahmed Faris - Space Knight