Nora Al Matrooshi said after completing her two-year astronaut training on Tuesday that her ideal space mission would be to “set foot on the Moon”.
The mechanical engineer, her Emirati colleague Mohammed Al Mulla and 10 American astronauts graduated from training during a Nasa ceremony held in Houston, Texas.
The training has helped make them eligible for space flight.
Both of the UAE astronauts spoke to The National after the ceremony and shared some of their most memorable moments of training, as well as hopes for future missions.
Ms Al Matrooshi, whose family, friends and colleagues were at the graduation, said that it has been her dream from a young age to fly to the Moon.
“What actually got me interested in space was a class that we had when I was in kindergarten, where our teacher had us pretend that we went to the surface of the Moon,” she said.
“And that's what first got me interested in space. It was at that point in time that I decided I wanted to become an astronaut.
“So, I guess the ideal mission for me would be to able to set foot on the Moon, as I imagined myself doing when I was five years old.”
Ms Al Matrooshi is the first Emirati woman to be selected as an astronaut.
Rayyanah Barnawi, a Saudi citizen, became the first Arab woman to fly to space when she went to the International Space Station for an eight-day trip last year.
Spacewalk training
Some of the training Ms Al Matrooshi and Mr Al Mulla – a former Dubai Police helicopter pilot – underwent was in robotics, learning the systems of the ISS and flying supersonic jets.
They also did spacewalk training in one of the world's largest indoor swimming pools, which has a mock-up of the space station at the bottom of it.
Astronauts train in the pool while wearing 115kg spacesuits that they would normally don to perform a spacewalk.
“It feels very different and that is one of the most amazing moments in the water – you're on the side of the ISS and you realise just how big and how real this is,” said Ms Al Matrooshi.
'My mum inspired me'
After 24 months of rigorous training, Ms Al Matrooshi, a Sharjah native, said she is most looking forward to visiting her grandmother when she is back.
She said her grandmother is a “huge feminist” and that she inspired her children to pursue higher education.
“I know she's waiting for me to come back and I want to be able to visit her and tell her all about my experiences – all the training that I've been doing. She's very interested in that and asks a lot of questions,” said Ms Al Matrooshi.
“She made sure to let her children know that they were just as good as anybody else and she inspired my mum to be who she is. In turn, my mum inspired me to become who I am today.”
Surviving the wilderness
Mr Al Mulla is also looking forward to spending time with relatives once he is back in Dubai.
His two sons and wife have been living with him in Houston during his training, with some of his family members and friends also attending the graduation ceremony.
“I'm feeling very happy right now – my family is really proud of me,” he said.
Some of his most memorable moments from training included team-building exercises.
“One of my new experiences was training in the wilderness and training together as a team,” he said.
The astronauts spent time in the state of Alabama learning how to build fires, make shelters and gather food and water.
Race to the Moon-orbiting station
Ms Al Matrooshi and Mr Al Mulla follow in the footsteps of Maj Hazza Al Mansouri, the first Emirati in space, and Dr Sultan Al Neyadi, now the Minister of State for Youth Affairs, who blasted off on a six-month mission aboard the ISS last year.
They are being welcomed into the UAE astronaut corps at a crucial time in space exploration, as the ISS nears retirement at the end of this decade and focus shifts to sending humans to the Moon.
Nasa has plans to launch the Gateway, a lunar-orbiting station that will host astronauts before they descend to the Moon's surface.
The UAE's Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre is contributing an important part of that structure – the airlock, an airtight room used to enter and leave the station.
In exchange, MBRSC secured a flight to the Gateway for one of its astronauts, ultimately helping to send the first Arab to the Moon's orbit.
Any of the four Emirati astronauts, or some selected in future, could be assigned to that mission.
A separate deal would have to be signed between the two nations to land on the Moon.
As for flights to the ISS, the MBRSC said that it would try to secure a mission every three to five years.
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Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
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Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
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6pm: Al Shindaga Museum – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (Dirt) 1,200m
6.35pm: Poet Al Oqaili – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
7.10pm: Majlis Ghurfat Al Sheif – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m
7.45pm: Hatta – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Fahidi – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.55pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m
9.30pm: Coins Museum – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
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Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
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The specs
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