DUBAI 9 October 2018: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), said that the Emirati astronauts who are set to travel to space are a source of pride for the country.
Sheikh Hamdan sent his best wishes to the two astronauts and the UAE Space Programme, saying that Emiratis have already demonstrated that they are capable of establishing leadership in various domains.
Addressing the two Emirati astronauts Hazza Al Mansouri and Sultan Al Niyadi, Sheikh Hamdan said on Twitter: “We are proud of you, and of the efforts of MBRSC to fly the UAE’s flag high in the sky. A new Emirati record will be set in space,” Sheikh Hamdan tweeted.
The two astronauts are undergoing specially-designed intensive training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia. On completion of the training and preparations, one of them will be selected to join an 11-day Russian space mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on 5 April 2019 aboard a Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft.
The two astronauts were selected as part of the UAE Astronaut Programme, which aims to train and prepare the first batch of Emirati astronauts to be sent to space on various scientific and research missions.
The intensive training covers processes following the launch of the spacecraft and rockets; working within the team entrusted with the mission process; identifying control panels; survival courses; dealing with emergencies on board, as well as learning the Russian language.
The two astronauts will also receive training from the European Space Agency (ESA) and Nasa on what they will do at ISS.