Hazza Al Mansouri shares unique struggles of life in space: ‘I couldn’t even tie my shoelaces’

The first Emirati in space and American astronaut Jessica Meir share some of their favourite memories of the International Space Station

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  The UAE's first astronaut, Maj Hazza Al Mansouri, takes part in a Q&A session from the International Space Station with an audience at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, Dubai, in 2019. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, talks with Emirati astronaut Maj Hazza Al Mansouri, during a live satellite feed from the International Space Station. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office

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  The Emirati astronaut takes questions from the audience gathered at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  An aspiring young astronaut poses in front of a picture of the first Emirati in space, Maj Hazza Al Mansouri. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  A woman films the Q&A session with Maj Hazza Al Mansouri from the International Space Station. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  The audience at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre are delighted to hear from Maj Hazza Al Mansouri. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  An aspiring young astronaut and her family at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre event. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  A young audience member celebrates the first Emirati in space. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid talks to Maj Hazza Al Mansouri. Courtesy Dubai Media Office

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  Emirati astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri, during a live satellite feed from the International Space Station. Courtesy Dubai Media Office

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  Audience members at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre event sample space food. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Emirati astronaut Maj Hazza Al Mansouri gives his audience on Earth a tour of the International Space Station. Screengrab via Youtube Live

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  Maj Hazza Al Mansouri demonstrates the effects of weightlessness. Screengrab via Youtube Live

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  Hazza Al Mansouri takes a live Q&A from space. He spent eight days on the International Space Station, in a mission from September 25 to October 3, 2019. Screengrab via Youtube Live

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  Emirati astronaut, Hazza Al Mansouri, takes live Q&A from space and gives a station tour. Screengrab via Youtube Live

The first Emirati in space, Maj Hazza Al Mansouri, shared some of his unforgettable moments from his time in orbit, including struggling to tie his shoelaces in microgravity.

Maj Al Mansouri was speaking during an online seminar held on Wednesday by the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC.

The former fighter jet pilot was joined by Nasa astronaut Jessica Meir. They went to space for the first time in 2019 and did their mission training together for a year in Russia.

Maj Al Mansouri spent eight days on the International Space Station, while Ms Meir stayed for 205 days.

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  UAE astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri, left, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka are seen on screens during their final exams at the Russian cosmonaut training center in Star City outside Moscow, Russia. EPA

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  Maj Al Mansouri and Skripochka attend their final exams. EPA

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  The September 25 mission crew, Hazza Al Mansouri, with cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka and astronaut Jessica Meir, during their final exams in Star City.

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  Hazza Al Mansouri is being put through his paces in Moscow ahead of his journey to the International Space Station next month. EPA

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  Al Mansouri attends his final exams. EPA

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  Maj Al Mansouri attends his final exams in Russia. EPA

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  Al Mansouri, Skripochka and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir attend their final exams. EPA

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  Al Mansouri, Skripochka and Meir attend their final exams. EPA

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  Maj Hazza Al Mansouri will complete a series of assessments during the mock mission in Russia this weekend.

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  The history-making astronaut is joined in Russia by reserve astronaut, Sultan Al Neyadi.

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  Maj Hazza Al Mansouri is preparing for his voyage into space on September 25.

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  The UAE's first astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri is set to blast off into space on September 25. All pictures by Wam

"I remember one of the things that I really struggled with was to tie my shoelaces in space," Maj Al Mansouri said.

“It was really difficult because you have to stabilise yourself. I tried to hold the handles on the space station, but any force you apply to yourself felt like it was pushing you.

“Eventually, one of the Russians on board said I should tie my shoelaces as I float and it’ll be easier.”

Ms Meir, a former marine biologist and physiologist, said simple daily tasks became a challenge in space.

She said she had to come up with a new strategy to get dressed in microgravity.

“It’s interesting because we have so much training in all of the technical things of space, so you’re very well prepared for that,” Ms Meir said.

"But what you're not prepared for are these easy tasks that fade into the background on Earth, but are very difficult in microgravity.

“So, when you get to the space station, you’re like a newborn. You have to figure out how to go to the bathroom, how to eat, drink and put your clothes on. These are all more challenging when you’re floating.”

The seminar, titled "Friendships Formed in Space", also touched on the growing partnership in space between the US and the UAE.

Maj Al Mansouri and reserve astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi are currently training at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas, under an agreement between the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre and Nasa.

Two more Emiratis, Mohammed Al Mulla and the first Arab female astronaut, Nora Al Matrooshi, will join them later this year.

"Our relationship in space [between the UAE and US] is escalating," Maj Al Mansouri said.

“Looking into the future, we’re definitely looking to hold more training and be part of something bigger in terms of space exploration.”

Nasa assisted the UAE during the selection process of its two latest astronauts. Ms Meir and American astronaut Anne McClain travelled to the Emirates to test the shortlisted candidates.

Once the Emirati astronauts graduate from the Nasa training programme, they will qualify for US-led space missions.

Maj Al Mansouri said the UAE's move to sign the Nasa-led Artemis Accords, which outline guidelines for peaceful exploration of the Moon, would open new opportunities for Emiratis.

"That [signing the Artemis Accords] is really important. It will open new opportunities in future for scientists and researchers back home to participate in the Artemis programme in general," he said.

Several other countries signed the accords, including Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the UK, Ukraine and South Korea.

But Russia's space chief Dmitry Rogozin said the agreement was "too US-centric" and instead partnered with China to develop a lunar research station.

Meanwhile, Nasa is working on sending the next man and first woman to the Moon as part of the Artemis programme. Nasa also plans to build a lunar-orbiting space station called the Lunar Gateway.

Emirati astronauts learn to perform spacewalks – in pictures

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  Hazza Al Mansouri, first Emirati man in space, wears a 130 kilogram-heavy extravehicular activities suit for spacewalk training. All photos courtesy of Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

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  The suit is worn during spacewalks outside of the International Space Station and for training at the world's largest indoor pool at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas

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  Located at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL), the indoor pool is 12-metres deep and has 2.4 million litres of water. It helps simulate microgravity and allows astronauts to work on a replica of the International Space Station placed underwater

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  Sultan Al Neyadi, part of the UAE astronaut corps, wears his EVA suit for spacewalk training in the indoor pool

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  Sultan Al Neyadi puts his helmet on for spacewalk training under water. Mr Al Neyadi was one of two people selected from 4,022 candidates to become the first Emirati astronauts. Mbrsc

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  Mr Al Neyadi prepares to go underwater

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  Mr Al Neyadi goes underwater with his EVA suit on for spacewalk training

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  Astronauts can spend up to 10 hours per day at the bottom of the pool to practise maintenance work on the space station model and refine spacewalk techniques.

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  An Emirati astronaut underwater, refining his spacewalk technique. Performing a spacewalk is an extremely dangerous task and requires practise and skill. In 2013, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano nearly drowned when water leaked into his helmet during a spacewalk. In 2019, Nasa astronaut Chris Cassidy’s wrist mirror broke off, releasing thousands of pieces of space junk

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  The Emirati astronauts are training for long-haul space missions at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas. They are also training on T-38 jets, which helps a pilot experience seven G-forces because of the speed. It can fly up to Mach 1.6 and 12,000 metres high – that is 3,000m higher than average airliners.