UAE chooses first Emirati astronaut for space mission

  DUBAI – Fighter jet pilot Hazza Al Mansouri has been chosen to become the first Emirati to go on a space mission, according to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). Al Mansouri, 34, has been training with partner Sultan Al Neyadi for the mission to the International Space Station (ISS) later this year. Al Neyadi will now be the backup astronaut for the mission. Both Emiratis are currently training at the Yuri Gagawin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia to prepare for the September 25 mission. The pair were selected from 4,022 applicants to the UAE Astronaut Prorgramme. Mansouri will set off in for the eight-day space mission aboard a Soyuz MS 15 spacecraft and return to Earth in what will be a milestone for UAE space exploration. On the ISS, Al Mansouri will present a tour of the station in Arabic and conduct research there. The mission will include 15 experiments selected based on MBRSC’s ‘Science in Space’ competition, which targets schools in the UAE. "Mr Al Mansouri is undergoing his training with the prime team while Mr Al Neyadi is undergoing his training with the backup team. Each team consists of three astronauts," said Salem Al Marri, head of the UAE Astronaut Programme. Al Mansouri holds a bachelor’s degree in aviation sciences from Khalifa bin Zayed Aviation College and is a member of the UAE Air Force. He will not be the last Emirati to travel to space as the UAE has revealed plans to launch a Mars probe in 2021 to establish the first human colony on the Red Planet by 2117. GAD/Expat 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