Saleh Al Ameri lived inside a remote Russian plant, in near-isolation, as part of an eight-month spaceflight research project. Locked away on November 4, he conducted several experiments. All photos: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre
Mr Al Ameri is part of the Sirius 20/21 project that measures the psychological and physiological effect on humans living in the extreme environments that astronauts face during space travel.
The international crew of six entered the NEK experimental complex in Moscow on November 4, where scientists are observing their behaviour using cameras installed throughout the centre.
Mr Al Ameri inside the centre in Moscow.
Mr Al Ameri's room in the complex. Each participant has a similar small space for privacy, while a small living room allows them to socialise and watch television. Each bedroom has a bed, desk and cupboard.
Aballa Al Hammadi, the back-up Emirati for the project, checks in on his colleague Mr Al Ameri, who is inside the complex.
Mr Al Ameri, 31, is the first Arab to be part of an analogue mission – field tests that simulate lengthy space journeys. These are crucial to understanding how space flight affects the body and mind, as governments and private companies work towards landing people on the Moon and Mars.
He celebrated the UAE's Golden Jubilee on December 2 inside the centre.
His colleagues celebrated the UAE's Golden Jubilee with him.
Crew members simulated a space journey to the Moon as part one of the experiments. They docked their 'spacecraft' with an interplanetary station and then transferred to a transport ship that will take them to the Moon.
The Russian space agency will live stream the moment six human test subjects exit an isolation pod in Moscow that they have been living in for eight months as part of a space travel experiment.
One of the crew members includes Emirati mechanical engineer Saleh Al Ameri, 31, who left his life in Abu Dhabi behind to live almost completely cut off from the world to train for the UAE’s first analogue mission.
The tests being conducted in the pod study the psychological and physiological effects of isolation by simulating journeys into deep space.
On July 3, at 2pm UAE time, the hatch of the NEK experimental complex will be opened to let Mr Saleh and his colleagues — three Russians and two Americans — out into the world for the first time since November 4.
They will be welcomed by their respective space agencies, including officials from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre.
After being closed off inside a small space for months, they will finally get to go home.
Each participant had their own room and access to a “living room”, where they could socialise.
But most of their time was spent carrying out experiments, such as using virtual headsets to perform spacewalks, dock with a Moon-orbiting station and drive a rover on the lunar surface.
‘Staying awake for 48 hours’
Mr Al Ameri said one of the most challenging experiments for him was when he and the other participants had to stay awake for two full days.
“Personally, one of the difficult experiences I conducted was for sleep deprivation for 48 hours,” he said earlier this week in a video released by the space centre.
“The challenge lies in the preparations, which include abstaining from caffeine and stimulants for three days prior to the experiment.
Saleh Al Ameri and five other international crew members will exit the Russian isolation pod on July 3, where they carried out space travel experiments for eight months. Photo: Dubai Media Office
“I recall that we were all affected by sleep deprivation.”
Mr Al Ameri said he was looking forward to enjoying the outdoors again and doing adrenalin-fuelled activities such as skydiving.
Impact on mind and body from isolation
Nasa has previously explained how isolation can affect the mind and body, including the impact on astronauts who spend long periods of time in space.
The US space agency carries out similar analogue missions as part of their Human Research Programme, which the UAE will participate in next year.
Nasa said some side effects after coming out of prolonged isolation include difficulty adjusting to daily routines and normal social interactions, and choices may seem complicated.
Yajaira Sierra-Sastre, who was in near-isolation for four months during a Nasa analogue mission, said it was difficult stepping back out into the world.
“I was overwhelmed by automobiles,” she said.
“The fast pace, the noise, but I also experienced a wonderful bliss when I saw the bright blue colours of the sea.”
The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
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
Timeline
1947
Ferrari’s road-car company is formed and its first badged car, the 125 S, rolls off the assembly line
1962
250 GTO is unveiled
1969
Fiat becomes a Ferrari shareholder, acquiring 50 per cent of the company
1972
The Fiorano circuit, Ferrari’s racetrack for development and testing, opens
1976
First automatic Ferrari, the 400 Automatic, is made
1987
F40 launched
1988
Enzo Ferrari dies; Fiat expands its stake in the company to 90 per cent
2002
The Enzo model is announced
2010
Ferrari World opens in Abu Dhabi
2011
First four-wheel drive Ferrari, the FF, is unveiled
2013
LaFerrari, the first Ferrari hybrid, arrives
2014
Fiat Chrysler announces the split of Ferrari from the parent company
2015
Ferrari launches on Wall Street
2017
812 Superfast unveiled; Ferrari celebrates its 70th anniversary
Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2
