The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced that two new astronauts will join the country’s ambitious space program, including the world’s first Arab female astronaut, DPA reported.
UAE Vice President and Emir of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said the astronaut’s name is Nura al-Matrushi and she has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
We announce the first Arab female astronaut, among two new astronauts, selected from over 4,000 candidates to be trained with NASA for future space exploration missions. Congratulations Noura Al Matrooshi and Mohammed Al Mulla. pic.twitter.com/bfyquyzqAJ
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) April 10, 2021
“We are announcing that one of the two new astronauts is the first Arab female astronaut. They were selected from 4,000 candidates to undergo training at NASA for space exploration missions,” Mohammed wrote on Twitter.
The second astronaut is Mohammed al-Mullah. Both astronauts will be trained at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, USA. In 2019, Haza al-Mansuri became the first astronaut from the UAE to spend a week on the International Space Station.
The UAE has already announced an ambitious space program, including the construction of a space station on Mars by 2117.
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