The name of the first astronaut who will go to the ISS as the representative of the United Arab Emirates is named.
Khazza Al-Mansouri will be the first astronaut from the UAE. This was announced on Friday, April 12, 2019, by the Muhammad bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC).
Al-Mansouri, 34, was chosen as the main cosmonaut, and Sultan Al-Neyadi as a backup for participating in the mission to fly to the International Space Station on September 25, 2019.
Two cosmonauts were selected from thousands of applicants from the United Arab Emirates. They are currently undergoing training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia.
"Mr. Al-Mansouri is trained in the main team, and Mr. Al-Neyadi is in the reserve team. Each team consists of three cosmonauts," said Salem Al-Marri, head of the UAE space program.
Five months later, Mr. Al-Mansouri will go on an eight-day space mission to the ISS aboard the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and will return to Earth aboard the Soyuz-12 spacecraft. This event will be an important milestone for the UAE and for the entire Arab world.
Hazza Al-Mansouri will conduct an excursion in Arabic at the ISS. He will also conduct observations, interact with ground stations, exchange information and document the life of astronauts at the station. During his stay on the ISS, the first astronaut from the UAE will also study the effect of microgravity on humans compared to gravity on Earth.
Yusuf Al-Shaibani, CEO of MBRSC, said that the announcement of the name of the first astronaut is an important step towards achieving the goals of the UAE space program, which aims to prepare the team of emirates to be sent into space as part of various scientific missions. The program was announced by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces in 2017.
After the flight of Al Mansouri, the UAE plans to launch a research probe to Mars in 2021. The UAE Space Agency also intends to form the first human colony on Mars by 2117.
Hazza Al-Mansouri is the father of four children. He applied for the program because traveling to space was his childhood dream. At the time of applying for the program, Mr. Al-Mansouri was a pilot of the UAE Air Force. Over his career, he has accumulated more than 14 years of experience in military aviation.
"When they told me that I was chosen to participate in the program, it was difficult for me to express how proud I was. I was euphoric," he said during a press conference in February.
