Huzzah! UAE’s First Astronauts Have Been Announced And It’s One Giant Leap For The Country
The UAE is showing that there is no limit to what they can achieve.
Just days after the news that UAE’s first Emirati-made satellite will be launched next month, UAE’s first astronauts to the ISS (International Space Station) have been announced.
HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, revealed the names of the first Emiratis to go to space on Twitter.
We announced today our first astronauts to the International Space Station: Hazza Al Mansouri and Sultan Al Nayadi. Hazza and Sultan represent all young Arabs and represent the pinnacle of the UAE’s ambitions.
Congratulations to the people and youth of the Emirates pic.twitter.com/UNqRXdtsjS
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) September 3, 2018
More than 4,000 Emiratis applied for the prestigious UAE astronaut training program, from which Sultan Saif Al Neyadi and Hazza Al Mansouri were selected
Sultan Saif Al Neyadi and Hazza Al Mansouri
Sultan Saif Al Neyadi is a Doctor of Information Technology, while Hazza Al Mansouri is a military pilot
It was no easy feat being picked from such a large pool of applicants. The two Emiratis were selected after passing a series of medical, psychological and advanced tests, along with personal interviews with NASA and advanced medical tests at Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos.
But UAE’s first astronauts have a long road ahead of them as well. They have seven months to prepare for Soyuz MS-12, the spaceflight that will take one of the them on a 10-day mission to the ISS
HH Sheikh Mohammed, Ruler of Dubai, also had a inspiring and wonderful message for the UAE’s youth.
We have the region’s only Mars exploration program, a fully operating satellite manufacturing capability and an astronaut program as part of our Dhs 20 billion investment in the space sector. The secret is our young Arab people and their capabilities.
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) September 3, 2018
The spaceflight to the ISS that will carry one of the Emirati astronauts is planned for April 2019, when UAE will record another awesome milestone in the country’s proud history.
