status birth_place other_names nationality missions space_time birth_date selection rank insignia image article_title type occupation
retired aleppo , syria muhammed ahmed faris syrian mir ep-1 -lrb- soyuz tm-3 / soyuz tm-2 -rrb- 7d 23h 04min 26 may 1951 1985 intercosmos group general , syrian air force 30px muhammed ahmed faris.jpg muhammed faris
 interkosmos research cosmonaut pilot
muhammed faris

muhammed ahmed faris -lrb- ; born 26 may 1951 -rrb- is a syrian military aviator .
he was the first syrian and the second arab in space .
born in aleppo , syria , he was a pilot in the syrian air force with the rank of a colonel .
he specialized in navigation when he was selected to participate in the intercosmos spaceflight program on 30 september 1985 .
he 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 .
muhammed faris was awarded the title hero of the soviet union on 30 july 1987 .
he was also awarded the order of lenin .
after his spaceflight , he returned to the syrian air force and lived in aleppo .
he is married and has three children .
on 4 august 2012 , during the syrian civil war , he defected from and joined the armed opposition .
on 13 september 2012 , made an exclusive interview with al aan tv and covered many topics regarding the syrian civil war .
