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Noura Al-Matroushi Is On Path To Become The First Arab Woman In Space
Noura Al-Matroushi was selected from over 4,000 candidates to be trained with the NASA Astronaut Group 23 of astronauts for future space exploration missions.
Following the recent success of the Emirates Mars Mission, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has just announced the name of the first Arab female astronaut, Noura Al-Matroushi.
Al-Matrooshi was selected from over 4,000 candidates to be trained with the NASA Astronaut Group 23 of astronauts for future space exploration missions. A mechanical engineer by training, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the United Arab Emirates University and also studied at the Vaasa University of Applied Sciences (VAMK) in Finland and Hanyang University in Seoul.
Since 2016, Al-Matrooshi works as a piping engineer at the UAE’s National Petroleum Construction Company. In addition to her previous work experience and education, she also stood out from the rest of the candidates thanks to her IQ and personality.
Al-Matrooshi will be training together with her male counterpart, Mohammed Al-Mulla. Born in 1988, Al-Mulla is a pilot at the Air Wing Center, and he has more than 1,500 flight hours under his belt. He has been able to spend so much time in the air because he became the youngest pilot in Dubai Police at 19 years of age.
The two astronauts in training will be preparing for a long stay in space and everything that goes along with it, including spacewalks, spaceflight control, and missions in low orbit involving robotics.
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Currently, the United Arab Emirates has four astronauts (counting Noura Al-Matroushi and Mohammed Al-Mulla) serving under the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), a Dubai government organization working on the UAE space program.
There’s a lot of responsibility on their shoulders because the gulf country would like to become a leading space exploration nation. If Noura Al-Matroushi and Mohammed Al-Mulla successfully complete their training, they can not only make this ambitious goal come true but also inspire a new generation of astronauts.
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UAE Prepares To Launch Two Satellites: Thuraya-2 And MBZ-SAT
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council yesterday.
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council in Dubai on December 16, 2024. The session highlighted the UAE’s ambitious space plans and took stock of the sector’s economic progress.
The council emphasized the growing role of private companies in advancing space technologies, noting that their contributions are now equal to that of the public sector. Members also praised initiatives like the Space Economic Zones Programme, which are designed to fuel innovation and investment in the space industry.
خلال ترؤسنا الاجتماع الأول للمجلس الأعلى للفضاء، بحثنا الاستثمارات الوطنية والمشاريع المقبلة في قطاع الفضاء والذي يشهد تطوراً مستمراً… وجددنا التزامنا بدعم ومواصلة تنفيذ برامج طموحة لاستكشاف الفضاء الخارجي حيث وصل حجم الاستثمارات في هذا القطاع إلى 40 مليار درهم خلال السنوات… pic.twitter.com/etJ33OnuSu
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) December 16, 2024
Discussing the UAE’s space journey, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum remarked, “The national space sector continues to grow and advance, and we take immense pride in the remarkable achievements we have accomplished over the years”.
Sheikh Hamdan also received updates on two upcoming satellite projects: Thuraya-2 and MBZ-SAT. Thuraya-2, developed by Space42, is slated for launch this December. Meanwhile, the MBZ-SAT, created by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), will soon follow. MBRSC, a major driver of the UAE National Space Programme, continues to lead the nation’s space-related developments.
Space42 took the opportunity to showcase its advancements, including ongoing collaborations between public and private entities. The company also outlined strategies to promote innovation, boost revenue streams, and create new opportunities for growth in the sector.
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The UAE’s current projects build on a growing legacy of space exploration. Back in 2020, the nation made headlines with its Mars mission, successfully sending a probe into the planet’s orbit in 2021. This mission, which is now in its second phase as of June 2024, has been collecting critical data to develop a comprehensive diurnal image of Mars.
The UAE also ventured into lunar exploration with an unmanned mission aimed at studying untouched regions of the Moon’s surface. While the probe ultimately crashed during its landing attempt after communication was lost seconds before touchdown, the effort represented a significant step in the country’s exploration ambitions.