UAE's next human space flight mission: Top official reveals how astronauts are already training for it

The UAE’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) is focusing on keeping its astronauts ‘mission-ready’ for all upcoming missions, with human space flight opportunities possibly landing within three to five years.

Speaking exclusively to Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the ongoing 17th International Conference on Space Operations (SpaceOps 2023) in Dubai, Salem Al Marri, Director General of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), opines the country will continue with its future programmes for training national cadres in the space sector, with mission-readiness being one of the top priorities.

This comes after UAE astronaut Dr Sultan Al Neyadi went to space on March 2, aboard the SpaceX Dragon named Endeavour.

“As a small country, every three to five years - give or take a couple of years - if we get an opportunity, we will take that opportunity and send a UAE astronaut (to space). Flight selection is very specifically based on training, capabilities, health, and situation of the astronaut as well as mission specific technical details. So, maybe Hazzaa is more suited to do one type of mission, Nora (astronaut Nora Al Matrooshi) is more suited to do another type of mission. My objective is hopefully, everyone flies,” says, Al Marri.

He underlines these efforts need to be supported by knowledge, data and innovations of academic and scientific research institutions in the country.

Al Marri avers, “First, we want to have astronauts who are trained, ready and able to conduct any mission. We are moving on that track. So, astronauts must continue their training. Hazzaa (Col. Hazzaa Al Mansouri) is still training. If you have a flight next year or in the next ten years…one has to be continuously training.”

Active participant

“Second, we want to be an active participant of human space flight missions, not just astronauts who are participants on short or long duration flights. However, that means the entire science community, universities, the engineering community here, should be behind what can be done. That’s our long-term strategy,” Al Marri added.

He emphasized that the future strategies developed by the UAE in the space sector looks to enhance its position in the club of pioneering countries in space exploration and development of international cooperation in this sector.

Mission training starts about two years before liftoff with UAE’s Sultan Al Neyadi having trained in Russia and later at NASA for a total period of five years before he was launched into space.

It covers many subjects that include astronomy, geology, aviation, and even photography.

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