In celebration of the UAE’s first major entry into the world of space travel, and the successful mission of the first Emirati astronaut, the UAE Central Bank has promised to mint a celebratory coin.
On September 25, Hazza Al Mansour entered the record books and the vastness of space when he became the first Emirati astronaut and Arab to board the International Space Station (ISS). In celebration of this moment, one which is hoped to plant the seed for more ambitious missions in the future, the UAE Central Bank will create a commemorative coin.
“His launch marked a significant day in our history as a nation,” the Central Bank said in a statement.
“This initiative from the Central Bank aims to pay tribute to UAE’s visionary leadership and to recognize Major Hazza Al Mansouri’s heroic efforts in realising [President Sheikh Khalifa and the UAE Founding Father Sheikh Zayed’s] ambitions.”
Mubarak Al Mansoori, Governor of the Central Bank said that Al Mansouri’s contribution to the country was “immeasurable” and that “This commemorative edition marks our immense pride and solidifies the UAE’s place in the global front of space exploration.”
The as-yet-unseen coin will join the series of commemorative stamps which Emirates Post created with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). 150,000 such stamps were circulated as of September 25, featuring images of Al Mansouri, back up astronaut Dr Sultan Al Neyadi, the Soyuz craft which hurtled Al Mansouri into space, the International Space Station, and the logo for the mission which bears the likeness of Sheik Zayed.
With both the release of these stamps and the minting of the coin, the UAE is embracing the achievements of Al Mansouri full force. It is hoped, and promised by the man himself, that his venture into space will usher in a new golden era of Arab astronauts, as well as prepare the UAE’s space agency for more ambitious missions in the future such as the terraforming of Mars in 2117.
