Muhammed Faris | |
|---|---|
محمد أحمد فارس | |
 Faris in 2012 | |
| Born | (1951-05-26)26 May 1951 |
| Died | 19 April 2024(2024-04-19) (aged 72) Gaziantep, Turkey |
| 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 |  |
Muhammed Ahmed Faris (Arabic:محمد أحمد فارس,romanized: Muḥammad ʾAḥmad Fāris; 26 May 1951 – 19 April 2024) was a Syrian military aviator andastronaut. He was the first Syrian and the secondArab in space.
Born inAleppo, Syria, he was a pilot in theSyrian Air Force with the rank ofcolonel. He specialized in navigation when he was selected to participate in theIntercosmos spaceflight program on 30 September 1985.
Faris flew asResearch Cosmonaut in theInterkosmos program onSoyuz TM-3 to theMir space station in July 1987, spending 7 days, 23 hours, and 5 minutes in space. He returned toEarth aboardSoyuz TM-2.
Faris is credited with carrying the first recorded Earth dirt into space, which was a vial carrying soil fromDamascus.[2]
Faris was awarded the titleHero of the Soviet Union on 30 July 1987; he was also awarded theOrder of Lenin.[3]
After his spaceflight, Faris returned to the Syrian Air Force and lived in Aleppo.
On 4 August 2012, during theSyrian civil war, Farisdefected fromBashar al-Assad's regime and joined the armedopposition.[4][5]
On 13 September 2012, he had an exclusive interview withAl Aan TV and covered many topics regarding the ongoing civil war in Syria.[6] Faris was also part of theNational Coordination Committee for Democratic Change, an anti-Assad grouping.[7]
In a March 2016 interview as aSyrian refugee in Turkey, Faris stated regarding the ongoing civil war: "I tell Europe if you don't wantrefugees, then you should help us get rid of this regime," adding "I am very sorry about theRussian 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 theSyrian Interim Government, a self-appointed opposition grouping.[9]
Faris moved with his family to Turkey in 2012 as a result of theSyrian civil war.[10] He obtained Turkish citizenship in 2020.[11] Faris had five children: four boys and one girl.[12]
Faris was admitted to Sanko Hospital in the Turkish province ofGaziantep after a heart attack in March 2024. He died on 19 April 2024 at the age of 72 and was buried in the rebel held city ofAzaz in Northern Syria.[10][11][13]
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