UAE announces first female astronaut

Our Correspondent

Mechanical engineering graduate Noura Al Matrooshi will become the first Arab and Emirati female astronaut, after she was picked from more than 4,000 candidates to be part of the UAE’s ambitious space program.

The selection which she described as an “unforgettable moment” was announced on Twitter by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai and UAE Prime Minister.

“We announce the first Arab female astronaut, among two new astronauts … to be trained with NASA for future space exploration missions,” he tweeted.

Al Matrooshi along with Mohammad Al Mulla, who was also selected in the UAE’s Astronaut Program, will undergo training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Texas.

According to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, space has been Al Matrooshi’s “passion since childhood.” The 28-year-old holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering,  and currently works at the UAE’s National Petroleum Construction Company.

“The nation gave me unforgettable moments today. I aim to work hard to script historical moments and achievements that will be etched forever in the memory of our people,” Al Matrooshi said on Twitter on April 10.

She said she drew inspiration from Hazzaa Al Mansoori, who became the UAE’s first astronaut in 2019 and spent eight days on the International Space Station.

In February this year, the UAE became the first Arab country and the fifth in the world to reach Mars when its “Hope Probe” spacecraft launched into the orbit of the red planet.

The country has also set ambitious targets to land on the moon in 2024 and establish human settlement in Mars by 2117.