The United Arab Emirates named the next two astronauts for its second space programme on Saturday. This includes the country’s first female astronaut. The announcement was made by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai.
Noura al-Matroushi was named the first Arab woman to be sent into space. Muhammad Al Mulla is the second astronaut selected for the space mission. With this, the number of astronauts announced so far by the UAE has become four.
They were selected through various stages from 4,305 applicants from the country. Both of them will be training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas in the United States. Sheikh Mohammed wished them that they may be able to raise the name and fame of the UAE to the skies.
On September 25, 2019, Major Hassa Al Mansouri became the first astronaut in the UAE. He was on an eight-day mission aboard the International Space Station. Sultan Al Nayadi was also given equal training to carry out the mission, in case a situation arises where Major Hassa Al Mansouri could not fly for any reason.
The UAE is the 19th country to have a presence on the International Space Station. This February UAE had launched Amal / Hope satellite in orbit around Mars. Thus UAE became the first Arab nation to launch a satellite. UAE hopes to send an unmanned spacecraft on the moon in 2024.
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