Astronaut Hazza AlMansoori will become the first Emirati national to travel to space. AlMansoori will board a Soyuz-MS 15 Spacecraft in Kazakhstan alongside prime crew Russian commander Oleg Skirpochka and NASA astronaut Jessica Meir. He will be staying at the International Space Station for eight days where he will conduct 16 scientific experiments throughout his mission.

His mission to space is an ambitious national effort that took less than two years of planning and training. In December 2017, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, announced the UAE’s first Astronaut Programme in efforts to find the country’s first ever space traveller. From over 4000 applicants and countless rounds of interviews, trainings and tests, Hazza AlMansoori, a 34-year-old former F-16 aircraft pilot, and Dr. Sultan Al Neyadi, a 38-year-old doctor of information and technology as well as an engineer for the UAE’s Armed Forces, were chosen for the role. Hazza AlMansoori will be the primary astronaut with Dr. Al Neyadi acting as his backup. AlMansoori and Dr. Al Neyadi spent a year going through intense training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Moscow.

AlMansoori’s expedition will make him the 240th visitor to the space station and will mark the UAE as the 19th visiting country. He will carry out 16 scientific experiments during his stay as well as conduct a detailed tour of the space station in Arabic. AlMansoori will also take with him a 10kg shipment prepared by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) with items of cultural and historical significance to the UAE such as a national flag, 30 seeds of Al Ghaf trees, Emirati food, a photo of His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan with the Apollo 17 Team, a copy of the Quran and a copy of “Qissati,” a novel by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.

AlMansoori’s mission marks great historic and scientific significance for the country. Hend Al Ali, Class of 2015 and a current Physics PhD student at the University of California Santa Barbara, stressed the importance and magnitude of such an event. “[Witnessing the country’s growth in the field over the years was] a very encouraging push to everyone who was interested in science [and allowed Emiratis to] start thinking about studying science more seriously,” said Al Ali. She further highlighted, “I went from not knowing what my future would be to now knowing that I can have a solid career in science.”

Mareya Al Khouri, Class of 2022 and an Emirati Electrical Engineering student also resonated with the positive impact of such an event and said, “[that it is] indicative of Sheikh Zayed’s vision [as it is] taking the development of the UAE to a whole other level.”

Yousuf Al Shaibani, Director of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, also recognized astronauts AlMansoori and Al Neyadi as positive role models for Emirati youth as they “inspire the country’s youth to follow their footsteps” through the utilization of resources provided by the UAE, as well continued motivation for the youth to learn and explore. They also strengthen the UAE’s position in space science and help transform the country’s economy into a knowledge-based economy.

While sending an Emirati to space is a huge milestone, it certainly will not be the last. An exploration probe to Mars is set to be launched in 2020. The UAE also plans to establish the first human colony on Mars by 2117.

The Aerospace Club at NYUAD is hosting a live screening of the launch on Sept. 25 in the A5C floor lounge from 5:30-6:30 p.m. AlMansoori’s journey can also be viewed through NASA’s official livestream. AlMansoori will also be taking four 20 minute phone calls during his stay. The public is invited to ask the astronaut questions via Twitter or through the MBRSC tent. The live phone call sessions are scheduled for Sept. 27 at 2.30 p.m., Sept. 29 at 2.40 p.m., Sept. 30 at 4.14 p.m., and Oct. 1 4:14 p.m.