Spacewalks and long-haul missions: Emirati astronauts to be trained by Nasa

Hazza Al Mansouri, the UAE's first man in space, has arrived in Houston to begin training

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  Emirati astronauts Hazza Al Mansouri and Sultan Al Neyadi have arrived in Houston to embark on an intensive Nasa training programme

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  The agreement will set the stage for future UAE space missions

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  Astronaut Steve Swanson goes under water at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab

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  Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid has heralded the signing of a new space partnership between the Emirates and the United States

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  Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid at Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai

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  Salem Al Marri, head of the UAE's astronaut programme, said the agreement opens up new partnership opportunities between Nasa and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. All pictures courtesy of Dubai Media Office

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  Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, director general of Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

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  Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, chairman of Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

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  Jim Morhard, deputy administrator at Nasa

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  Terry Virts and Samantha Cristoforetti at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab

Emirati astronauts will receive training at Nasa’s spaceflight training centre in Houston this year as part of a new agreement signed between the UAE and the US space agency.

Maj Hazza Al Mansouri, the first Emirati to fly into space, and reserve astronaut Dr Sultan Al Neyadi, arrived in the States on Monday to begin the programme at Johnson Space Centre.

The news comes four days ahead of the first anniversary of UAE's landmark journey to the International Space Station on September 25 of last year.

"We are pleased to announce the signing of an agreement with Nasa to train UAE astronauts for potential missions to the International Space Station, including space walks and long duration station missions. The programme will train our youth and astronauts for future missions," tweeted Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

Spacewalking astronauts train in a pool filled with 2.3 million litres of water. Courtesy: Sheikh Mohammed's Twitter

The training will take two and a half years to complete and will include the two new astronauts who will join the UAE's space programme next year.

Salem Al Marri, head of the astronaut programme, said the agreement opens up new partnership opportunities between Nasa and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre.

The two space agencies have finalised a reimbursable space agreement, meaning that the UAE will pay for the use of Nasa facilities and services.

It could allow Emirati astronauts to participate in long haul space missions. The first one by Maj Al Mansouri was for eight days.

“The International Space Station systems training is one of the most specialised training modules, and our astronauts will benefit immensely from it," said Mr Al Marri.

"We will continue to work together with the US on further collaborations in the coming months and propel the global space sector towards a brighter future.”

Under the agreement, the astronauts will receive training in multiple areas of operations on the International Space Station, including major systems, robotics, spacewalking and an array of leadership training.

The partnership is expected to pave the way for the UAE to participate in future Nasa missions, including its Artemis programme.

Nasa and the UAE Space Agency had signed a co-operation agreement a few years ago, which said the two entities would collaborate on human spaceflights in future.

“This agreement to train Emirati astronauts will pave the way for even closer relations between our two nations creating new opportunities for the UAE to become involved in the International Space Station, Artemis, and other Nasa activities,” said James Morhard, Nasa deputy administrator.

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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

Spacewalk training will be carried out in a pool filled with 2.3 million litres of water at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. Each hour spent doing a spacewalk requires seven hours of training in the pool.

During spacewalks, astronauts experience weightlessness and similar sensations to swimming in a pool.

Astronauts and cosmonauts routinely float outside of the International Space Station for seven to eight hours at a time to do maintenance work on the spaceship.

They must wear a 115 kilogram-heavy suit that is filled with oxygen, called extravehicular activity (EVA), and be tied to the station with a safety tether so they do not float away.

These tasks are incredibly risky. Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano nearly drowned during a spacewalk in 2013 when water leaked into his helmet.

“The US and UAE enjoy a strong relationship here on Earth, and we are excited to extend that relationship into the final frontier,” said Mr Morhard.

“The UAE has made extraordinary progress in the space arena in a very short amount of time with the successful launch of the Emirates Mars Mission’s Hope probe, the region’s first interplanetary spacecraft, serving as the most recent example of the UAE’s ambitious space program.”

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  Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, receives the UAE flag that Hazza Al Mansouri took to the International Space Station, during a homecoming reception at the Presidential Airport. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs

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  Hazza Al Mansouri and Sultan Al Neyadi arrive at the Presidential Airport. Rashed Al Mansoori / Ministry of Presidential Affairs

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  Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed welcomes Sultan Al Neyadi back to the UAE. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs

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  Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed welcomes Hazza Al Mansouri home. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs

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  Al Fursan perform a flyover the presidential flight that brought Hazza Al Mansouri, Sultan Al Neyadi and officials from Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre back to the UAE. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs

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  Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan bin Zayed greets Hazza Al Mansouri at a homecoming reception in Abu Dhabi. Rashed Al Mansoori / Ministry of Presidential Affairs

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  Traditional ayala dancers participate in a homecoming reception for the returning UAE astronauts. Rashed Al Mansoori / Ministry of Presidential Affairs

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  Hazza Al Mansouri is greeted by schoolchildren at the airport. Hamad Al Mansoori for the Ministry of Presidential Affairs

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  Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed receives Hazza Al Mansouri and Sultan Al Neyadi during a home-coming reception at the Presidential Airport. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs

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  Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed speaks with Sultan Al Neyadi and Hazza Al Mansouri during a homecoming reception at the Presidential Airport. Seen with Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs

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  Hazza Al Mansouri shows Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed a model of the Soyuz MS-15 rocket that launched him to the International Space Station. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs

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  Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region, look at a model of the Soyuz MS-15 rocket. Abdullah Al Junaibi

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  Hazza Al Mansouri and Sultan Al Neyadi each greet their fathers at the Presidential Airport. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs

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  Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, stands for a photograph with Hazza Al Mansouri and Sultan Al Neyadi. Hamad Al Mansoori for the Ministry of Presidential Affairs

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  Sheikha Fatima bint Mohamed bin Hamad Al Nahyan gives Hazza Al Mansouri a note. Seen with Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed. Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs

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  Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed and Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, stand for a photo wish Hazza Al Mansouri, Sultan Al Neyadi, Salem Al Marri, head of the National Space Programme. Courtesy Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Twitter

In the meanwhile, the search for two new astronauts are ongoing. Applications to apply were closed in May, with 4,305 nationals vying to follow in the footsteps of Maj Al Mansouri.

Officials said at the time that the search would be in the interview round, where 80 shortlisted candidates would be tested on their space knowledge, ability to lead and take command.

Most of this year's applicants are engineers, pilots, medical professionals and experts in fields of science.

Forty-four per cent of the applicants are from Abu Dhabi, 23 per cent from Dubai, and the rest from the five other emirates, while 130 hold PhDs.

Out of the total applicants, 1,400 of them are women - 250 more female entrants than in the last round of applications in 2018.

On September 10, Maj Al Mansouri and Dr Al Neyadi completed advanced scuba training, which is an essential skill that astronauts need to prepare for space missions. It helps the body adapt to the motion felt during spacewalk.

No new space mission has been announced by the UAE yet. Mr Al Marri had told The National they were open to all space players capable of sending humans to the ISS.

Russia continues to send astronauts to the space station on its Soyuz spacecraft, and human spaceflights have returned in US with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.