The UAE's first female astronaut will graduate from a Nasa training programme in Houston, Texas on March 5, Nasa confirmed on Wednesday.
Emirati mechanical engineer Nora Al Matrooshi, her colleague Mohammed Al Mulla, a former Dubai Police helicopter pilot, and 11 American astronaut candidates will graduate as part of the Nasa astronaut class of 2023.
They will then become eligible for space missions, including to the International Space Station, as well any other future US-led missions, such as trips to the Moon planned under Nasa's Artemis programme.
Since starting their training in 2021 at the Johnson Space Centre, the candidates have undergone a series of training courses, including land survival, flight training, spacesuit and spacewalks and geology field training.
"I first started dreaming of becoming an astronaut when my teacher in kindergarten asked us to build a tent and pretend it was a spacecraft that was taking us to the Moon. Since then I’ve become extremely passionate about becoming an astronaut,” Ms Al Matrooshi, 30, said at an earlier media briefing.
“I’ve been working in the oil and gas field for several years, but my dream of becoming an astronaut never went away. This is a life-changing opportunity.
“The dream I’ve had since a child has come true. Now, I’ve started dreaming bigger.”
The graduation ceremony will be held at Johnson Space Centre at 10.30am EST (7.30pm UAE time) on Tuesday, March 5.
Nasa’s 2023 astronaut class patch features a US and UAE flag. The patch is shaped like a fly, and features an astronaut reaching for the Moon, with Mars pictured in the distance.
The design symbolises the space agency's goal of a human presence on the Moon and, later, travel to Mars as part of the Artemis programme.
UAE's first two astronauts – Sultan Al Neyadi, who returned from a six-month stint on the ISS in September, and Hazza Al Mansouri, the first Emirati in space – completed the Nasa training programme in 2022.
All Emirati astronauts will soon qualify for missions to the Lunar Gateway, as the UAE has secured a spot for one of its astronauts on the Moon-orbiting station.
The Emirates will supply an airlock for the Gateway in exchange for access to the station.
It is not yet decided which Emirati astronaut will be the first to go on a mission to the Gateway.
"We have four astronauts and all of them will be trained," Salem Al Marri, director general of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, told The National this month.
"But this is not something that we can decide at this stage and as we get closer, and we start getting into the operational elements, then we get into mission selection."
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
MATCH INFO
Azerbaijan 0
Wales 2 (Moore 10', Wilson 34')
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur (3.30pm)
Burnley v Huddersfield Town (7pm)
Everton v Bournemouth (7pm)
Manchester City v Crystal Palace (7pm)
Southampton v Manchester United (7pm)
Stoke City v Chelsea (7pm)
Swansea City v Watford (7pm)
Leicester City v Liverpool (8.30pm)
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Newcastle United (7pm)
Monday
Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion (11pm)
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
