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Members of CrewOne of UAE Analogue Mission to be announced soon

Dubai - An 8-month analog mission will be conducted at the NEK ground-based analogue facility in Moscow.

Members of CrewOne, which is the first Emirati analog mission, will be declared soon, according to a recent tweet by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC).

An eight-month analog mission will be conducted at the NEK ground-based analogue facility in the Russian capital of Moscow.

The MBRSC tweeted, “the crew participating in the UAE Analog Mission#1 will have one primary and one more back up. They will embark on an eight-month analog mission to simulate space-like conditions on Earth at the NEK ground-based analogue facility in Moscow, Russia, alongside other participants from different countries. The mission is part of the Scientific International Research in Unique Terrestrial Station and will focus on studying the effects of long duration isolation and confinement on human psychology and physiology.”

Who will be part of the CrewOne?

Earlier, the MBRSC had announced the selection of 10 Emiratis out of over 100 applicants for the UAE Analog Mission#1 as part of the Scientific International Research in Unique Terrestrial Station, SIRIUS 20/21.

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.

Physicians, medical investigators, physiologists, biologists, life-support specialists, and information technology (IT) and electronics professionals were the preferred professions.

The shortlisted candidates also include a few women. All the candidates come from varied career backgrounds, including engineering, medicine and science.

Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, Director-General, MBRSC, had said, “Guided by the futuristic vision of our leadership, the UAE has progressed exponentially in space research and exploration; and through international collaborations such as the SIRIUS 20/21 mission, we continue to develop our local capabilities and move closer towards building a knowledge-based economy. The UAE Analog Mission#1 is unique because it allows us to work with a global pool of experts across a variety of sectors including health, science, technology and more.

Such experiences will ultimately help fortify the UAE’s pioneering space programme in the region for years to come.”

The UAE Analog Mission is a Mars 2117 initiative and is funded by the ICT fund of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.

Adnan AlRais, Mars 2117 Programme Manager at MBRSC, had said, “We’re happy with the overall quality of the candidates who have been shortlisted for the UAE Analog Mission#1. All of them are of a high calibre, well-knowledgeable when it comes to the analog mission and capable of enduring challenges associated with it. We look forward to selecting the final crew members from this pool of talented candidates. Their varied experience and expertise, along with those of the other crew members selected for the mission, will contribute to the realisation of the Mars 2117 Programme and enable us to undertake more ambitious space exploration challenges."

nandini@khaleejtimes.com