How UAE astronauts reacted to call-up: One went jogging, the other thought it was a dream

Hazza Al Mansoori and Sultan Al Neyadi during the parabolic flight training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia.

On August 21, 2018, at precisely 3.40pm, Hazza Al Mansoori received the most unforgettable call of his life. "You've been selected to be one of the first two Emirati astronauts," he was told.
About 10 minutes later, another Emirati, Sultan Al Neyadi, got a similar call. "I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I thought I was in a dream, so I ended the conversation really fast. I was so tense and excited at the same time," Al Neyadi said.
Both of them are part of the UAE's first astronaut corps and one of them will jet off to space on September 25 for an eight-day trip to the International Space Station (ISS). The first astronaut to take the UAE flag into outer space will be announced in May.
Al Mansoori, 35, and Al Neyadi, 37, addressed their first public conference in Dubai on February 25. They revealed details of the launch date, their brutal training in Russia so far and being given the opportunity to create history for the Arab world.

Al Mansoori, a former military pilot, said: "I used to love astronomy when I was young. I used to ask myself 'can I be an astronaut one day?'. So, when I received the call, I couldn't believe it. I am very proud to be serving my country and the Arab world."
Al Neyadi, a former IT professional, didn't even tell his parents he had applied to be an astronaut until he reached the medical stage of the competition. Travelling to space was a dream for him since he was young.
"After being told I was one of the first two astronauts, I hung up the phone and went jogging. I had to wake myself up and feel reality. I just couldn't believe it," he said.
The primary candidate will travel to the ISS onboard the Russian Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft and will return on the Soyuz MS-12.
The initial launch date of April 5 was changed because of the accident that occurred on the Soyuz MS-10 spacecraft last October. The astronauts onboard had to carry out a ballistic reentry into Earth as the boosters on the spacecraft failed to separate properly. It was the first incident of its kind in nearly three decades.
However, that hasn't scared the Emirati astronauts. Al Neyadi said: "Accidents can happen but you have to trust in your knowledge. The Soyuz programme is a very safe one." The trip to space will include several scientific experiments.
Research and experiments
Salem Al Marri, assistant director general for scientific and technical affairs and head of the UAE Astronaut Programme at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, said: "The astronaut will conduct research in various fields to be shared with the international scientific community to show the effect of zero gravity on research experiments, compared to gravity on Earth. For example, research will be conducted on the reaction of vital indicators of the human body at ISS, in comparison with Earth, before and after the trip. This is the first time this kind of research will be done by an astronaut from the Arab region. The results of this study will later be compared with research conducted on astronauts from other regions."
This will also be the first time that an astronaut will give an introductory tour of the ISS in Arabic, where he will explain the components of the station, the equipment on board and methods of conducting experiments in zero gravity
The astronaut will be conducting earth observation and imaging experiences, interacting with ground stations, sharing information and experiences, as well as documenting the daily lives of astronauts at the station. Al Marri confirmed that the visual content of these tours will serve as an Arabic reference and will be available for those interested in the space sector from the Arab region.

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