UAE’s first woman astronaut, Nora Al Matrooshi, to graduate from NASA training in March

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) marks a historic milestone as its first female astronaut, Nora Al Matrooshi, prepares to graduate from a NASA training program in Houston, Texas, in early March. The National newspaper reported that they are trying to do so. NASA has announced that Al Matrooshi will join her colleague, former Dubai Police helicopter pilot Mohammed Al Mulla, and 11 other American astronauts as members of NASA’s esteemed astronaut class of 2023. He confirmed that he will graduate with the candidates.

This graduation could include potential ventures to the International Space Station (ISS) or participation in future U.S.-led missions planned under NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon. , meaning qualification for space missions.

Since beginning training at Johnson Space Center in 2021, astronaut candidates have undergone a rigorous curriculum that includes on-site training in ground survival, flight training, spacesuit and extravehicular activities, and geology. . Al Matrosi, a 30-year-old mechanical engineer, spoke of his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut and expressed immense passion for the opportunity. She emphasized the transformative nature of the experience, saying, “A dream I’ve had since I was a child has come true. Now I’m starting to dream bigger.” Ta.

Astronaut graduation ceremonies are typically held at Johnson Space Center, with NASA expected to confirm the location and exact date in the coming weeks. The 2023 Astronaut Class patch features the United States and his UAE flags, with a unique design in the shape of a fly. The patch depicts an astronaut reaching for the moon, symbolizing NASA’s ambitions for human exploration of the moon and eventual travel to Mars as part of the Artemis program.

Notably, the UAE’s first two astronauts, Sultan Al Neyadi and Hazza Al Mansoori, successfully completed NASA’s training program in 2022. Looking forward, all UAE astronauts will be in a position to qualify for a mission to the Moon’s Gateway, as the UAE has secured slots for the Moon’s Gateway mission. It is in. Astronauts on the lunar station. In exchange for this opportunity, Emirates will supply an airlock to the Gateway, marking a major step forward in the UAE’s contribution to space exploration. The specific UAE astronauts selected for the mission to Gateway have not yet been determined and will be considered as operational planning progresses.