Nine astronaut hopefuls arrive in Moscow
EMIRATI CANDIDATES WILL UNDERGO A SERIES OF MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS IN RUSSIA FOR THE NEXT THREE WEEKS
UAE Astronaut Programme candidates will undergo a series of medical examinations in Russia for the next three weeks |
Nine shortlisted candidates of the UAE Astronaut Programme have arrived in Moscow for their mission specific medical examinations, Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) announced yesterday
The programme aims to train and prepare a team of four Emiratis to be sent into space for various scientific missions. The programme, launched by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, is a part of the UAE National Space Programme.
In June the UAE announced it will send the first Emirati astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) in April 2019 on a 10-day mission, as part of an agreement with Roscosmos. It will be the first time an Emirati blasts off into space, also becoming the first Arab to visit ISS.
Space missions
The nine candidates will undergo three-week medical examinations at the Russian state organisation Gagarin Research & Test Cosmonaut Training Centre and Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP), the State Scientific Centre of the Russian Federation.
These examinations will help the UAE name the first Emirati Astronauts who will be trained to perform various space missions in the next few years.
Two of the four Emirati astronauts will be selected, after which an astronaut and his backup will start training this month for a flight to the International Space Station in April 2019.
These intensive examinations include conducting an ultrasound of the thyroid gland, kidneys, and small pelvis, respiratory function, fiber-colonscopy, ECG and a 24 hour monitoring of the blood pressure.
They will also include tonal audiometry, CT of the paranasal sinuses of the nose, entering the pressure chamber, and examinations by a centrifuge machine and the vestibular apparatus among others.
The examinations are extensive and are specific to space missions, to test the astronauts’ level of endurance and prepare them for space surroundings.
Selection process
“We believe that these examinations will not only support the selection process but will also earn the candidates a deep understanding about space mission preparations and conditions.
“We look forward to receiving detailed evaluation of each candidate to support the selection process of the first Emirati Astronauts Corps,” said Yousuf Al Shaibani, Director General of the MBRSC.
After the first two astronauts come back from the mission, they will be sent for training for longer-term missions. The training will include being subjected to heavy g-forces [gravitational forces], simulating spacewalks underwater; and other demanding tasks. They will also have to be strong mentally, capable of working under pressure — all the while maintaining a pleasant personality to work alongside fellow ISS passengers.
The MBRSC announced in June that 39 Emiratis passed the physical and psychological tests to qualify for the preliminary list of the UAE Astronaut Programme, which had received more than 4,000 applications.
One in five (20 per cent) of the 39 applicants were women; all of them were university graduates including engineers, civilian and military pilots; doctors, teachers and parents. The applicants’ ages ranged from 25 to 42.
The UAE Astronaut Programme is funded by the ICT fund of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA).
Launched in 2007, this fund, the first of its kind in the Arab world, aims to support research and development in the ICT sector in the UAE, helping it to grow into a nationally significant industry with a leading place in the world.