Two Emiratis will be part of a space research programme that involves living in near-isolation for eight months to replicate the challenges of flights to the Moon and Mars.
The names of the two citizens — one of whom will take part in the arduous mission and the other a backup — will be announced soon, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre said.
The pair have been selected from a shortlist of ten candidates announced last year.
The mission will involve an international crew of six people living inside the NEK experimental complex in Moscow for eight months.
Sirius 20/21, the official name of the project, will measure the psychological and physiological impact on humans living in the extreme environments that astronauts would face during space travel.
As space nations work towards landing humans on Mars, research into how lengthy space flights affect the human body and mind remains critical. Astronauts will have to overcome challenges such as exposure to radiation, long periods of time spent in microgravity and long periods away from family and friends.
“The mission is part of the Scientific International Research in Unique Terrestrial Station (Siruis) and will study the effects of long duration isolation and confinement,” the space centre said.
“The members of crew one will be revealed soon. The crew will join the UAE Analog Mission 1 — the first Emirati analog mission.”
After a delay caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the experiment is expected to begin in November.
The National explains what the project will involve.
Simulation of a space-like environment
The experiment is part of a five-year-long research programme by Russia’s Institute of Biomedical Problems and Nasa’s Human Research Programme.
It involves three Sirius missions, with the first one completed in 2019 when six crew members lived in isolation for four months.
The final one is expected to be 12 months long and to be the most challenging.
Participants will be sealed inside tubular modules, with multiple cameras watching them around the clock.
The structure has its own atmosphere and air pressure to create a space-like environment.
Dedicated rooms for each participant will help with privacy, while a small living room will allow them to socialise and watch television.
Each bedroom has a tiny bed, desk and a cupboard.
They will be cut off from the world outside for the entire duration of the experiment.
What is the scientific purpose?
The crew members will be assigned simulated space missions during their stay in the facility.
“Participants will experience environmental aspects similar to those astronauts are expected to experience on future missions to Mars,” Nasa said on its website.
“A small international crew will live together in isolation for eight months conducting scientific research, using virtual reality and performing robotic operations among a number of other tasks during the lunar mission.
“Results from ground-based missions like this help Nasa prepare for the real-life challenges of space exploration and provide important scientific data to solve some of these problems and to develop countermeasures.”
Scientists will be measuring the participants’ psychological and physiological conditions during the experiment.
Why is the UAE participating?
The UAE has long-term plans to send Emiratis to the lunar surface and to build a human settlement on Mars by 2117.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre is building a Dh500 million Mars simulation city in Dubai, with construction expected to begin next year.
The design includes analog facilities that can be used by Emiratis and other international participants in the future.
“The Mars Science City will be a platform where we’re going to have our future space robotics lab, future analog facilities, a habitat and a space sustainability lab,” Adnan Al Rais, Mars 2117 programme manager, said.
“We’re currently working on the design. Then we’ll do the construction for the next two years. Hopefully, the city will be ready and operational towards the end of 2024.
“We are also working with our partners on identifying the requirements for unique analogue facilities as part of the Mars Science City.”
Remarkable images of the UAE from space — in pictures
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
MATCH INFO
Qalandars 109-3 (10ovs)
Salt 30, Malan 24, Trego 23, Jayasuriya 2-14
Bangla Tigers (9.4ovs)
Fletcher 52, Rossouw 31
Bangla Tigers win by six wickets
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
