• The list was first filtered down to 2099 applicants based on their age, educational background, and scientific research experience
• Two candidates will then be selected from the final list to form the second batch of the UAE astronaut program

Arab News

DUBAI:  The UAE announced on Sunday that 61 out of 4,305 applicants were shortlisted for the astronaut program that aims to find the next two astronauts for crewed space missions.

The shortlisted candidates include 41 men and 20 women from across the UAE.  The average age of the applicants stood at 28-yearsold, with the youngest candidate being 23 and the oldest 39.

The list was first filtered down to 2099 applicants based on their age, educational background, and scientific research experience, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) said in a press release.

The applicants then underwent an online test, through which the best 1,000 candidates were selected. In the next phase, the 1,000 candidates were made to undergo IQ, personality, and technical assessments. The top 122 from the 1,000 were interviewed virtually, bringing the shortlist down to 61 candidates.

Three of the applicants hold a PhD, while 12 have a master’s degree. Over 50 percent of the applicants were from the engineering sector, while the rest were from the military, aviation and healthcare sectors.

“Our ambition to strengthen the UAE’s position among leading countries in the space sector is the foundation under which the Programme was established,” Yousuf Hamad Al-Shaibani, Director General, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, said.

“Building on our strategy in the space sector and solid foundations, our goal now is to continue to focus on developing a national cadre of astronauts capable of achieving the nation’s ambitions in this field at the highest international levels and support future space exploration missions,” Al-Shaibani added.

The candidates are currently undergoing advanced medical tests, MBRSC said. A select number of candidates will be shortlisted after this for an initial interview to be conducted by a committee from MBRSC.

Candidates that make it through the initial interview will move on to the next round, where they will have a final round of interview conducted by a panel of experts from MBRSC, including astronauts Hazzaa Al-Mansoori and Sultan Al-Neyadi. Two candidates will then be selected from the final list to form the second batch of the UAE astronaut program.

As part of a joint cooperation agreement between the UAE and the US, the two new astronauts will join the NASA Astronaut Candidate Class of 2021 and train at the Johnson Space Centre in the US. The Emirati astronauts will undergo the same training programme as those of NASA astronauts, which will help them prepare physically and psychologically for future space exploration missions.

The final selected candidates will undergo an intensive multi-stage training programme, in accordance with the highest international standards. They will first undergo a basic training phase, during which they will learn the objectives and plans of the programme, the basics of scientific disciplines, including space engineering and scientific research, as well as procedures and regulations of the International Space Station.

Candidates will also learn Russian, get trained on scientific research procedures in space and then move on to the advanced and intensive training phase. During this phase, candidates will learn to maintain and manage payloads, as well as a range of skills including robotics, navigation, medical aid and resource management. All this will enable astronauts to be eligible to participate in missions to the International Space Station.

“When we launched the UAE Astronaut Programme, we had a clear goal of developing Emirati talent and local capabilities that contribute to our leadership’s vision of making the UAE a hub for space science and technology,” Salem Al-Marri, Assistant Director General for Scientific and Technical Affairs and Head of the UAE Astronaut Programme, MBRSC, said.

“The second batch of the Programme aligns with this vision as we continue to seek the skills and expertise that enable us to enhance our knowledge in the space sector,” Al-Marri added.