UAE Space Programme: What is the purpose of Analog Mission

Dubai - Bid to prepare the nation for more ambitious space exploration challenges such as the Mars 2117 Programme.

Abdallah Al Hammadi and Saleh Al Ameri will be members of CrewOne, which is UAE’s first Analog Mission, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) announced recently.

What is Analog Mission and what will CrewOne do?

An eight-month Analog Mission will be conducted at the NEK ground-based analogue facility in Moscow, Russia. The crew participating in the UAE Analog Mission#1 will have a primary and a backup, respectively.

They will embark on a journey to simulate space-like conditions on the Earth at the NEK ground-based analogue facility in Moscow alongside other participants from different countries. The mission is part of the Scientific International Research in Unique Terrestrial Station (SIRIUS) 20/21 and will focus on studying the effects of long-duration isolation and confinement on human psychology and physiology.

Experts said the UAE would be able to contribute to understanding the science behind such missions. It is seen as a bid to prepare the nation for more ambitious space exploration challenges such as the Mars 2117 Programme.

UAE’s space stars

Abdallah Al Hammadi has a foundation degree in aerospace engineering from the Manchester Metropolitan University and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Abu Dhabi University. He has been part of the UAE Armed Forces for the past 17 years and is currently the Crew Chief of the Maintenance Department (first and second line).

Saleh Al Ameri holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Khalifa University and is a certified vibration analyst from the Mobius Institute. With over six years of experience in his field, Al Ameri is working as a mechanical engineer with ADNOC. Al Ameri’s team had won second place in the Abu Dhabi Solar Challenge 2015, designing the first-of-its-kind solar car in the Arab world that had clocked a mileage of 1,200 kilometres (km).

What did the selection procedure entail?

During the call for applications, the MBRSC had stated that it was looking for Emirati candidates between the ages of 25 and 55, who were passionate about space and can communicate in English.

Preferred occupations included physicians, medical investigators, physiologists, biologists, life-support specialists and information technology (IT) and electronics professionals.

In April 2020, 10 prospective candidates were shortlisted for a second interview with a committee consisting of specialists from various departments and the administration of MBRSC. The candidates also underwent medical and psychometric tests that allowed the team to shortlist candidates to six.

A final interview was then conducted by MBRSC’s senior leadership team, after which the candidates were selected.