The UAE is about to venture to infinity and beyond as Nora Al Matrooshi and Mohammad Al Mulla are the country’s latest astronauts and will be making their first media appearance on July 7 at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre.
Wait, that’s Buzz Lightyear who says that, not Buzz Aldrin.
Al Mulla is a pilot and head of the training department at the Dubai Police’s Air Wing Centre and Al Matrooshi is a mechanical engineer working at the National Petroleum Construction Company who has now made history as she is the first ever female Emirati astronaut.
Selected from a pool of 4,305 applicants to be part of the UAE Astronaut Programme, Matrooshi and Al Mulla will join the UAE’s first astronauts Hazza Al Mansoori and Sultan Al Neyadi on all future space expeditions. At 11am next Wednesday, the two new astronauts will be talking to the media about the UAE’s current preparations for space exploration and the phases they underwent as part of the selection process.
Initiated in 2017, the UAE Astronaut Programme aims to prepare an Emirati astronaut corps for scientific space exploration as well as inspiring young people to study the science of space and technology. Its strategic objectives include strengthening the UAE’s position in the international space sector by contributing to manned space missions and supporting the UAE’s vision of a prosperous future based on knowledge and scientific research.
The UAE recently became the first Arab nation in history to reach Mars as The Emirates Mars Mission conducted by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre had sent out a ‘Hope’ Probe which returned with the first full picture of Mars.
If you’re unable to make it to the astronaut’s press conference next week, you can watch the live feed on MBRSC’s social media platforms.
Esquire now has a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Esquire Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @esquiremiddleeast Instagram and Twitter account.
