Emirati astronauts Mohammad Al Mulla and UAE’s first female astronaut, Nora Al Matrooshi are the latest to join the next Astronaut Candidate Selection class (ASCAN).
Mulla, 33, a Dubai Police helicopter pilot, and Matrooshi, 28, a mechanical engineer, will train with American astronauts from January 2022, as part of an agreement between NASA and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. The UAE’s first two astronauts, Hazza Al Mansouri and Sultan Al Neyadi have already completed a year of training at NASA.

Presenting Nora AlMatrooshi and Mohammad AlMulla from the second batch of the UAE Astronaut Programme joining the NASA Astronaut Candidate Class of 2021.#UAEAstronautProgramme pic.twitter.com/MVt3zIqStB

— MBR Space Centre (@MBRSpaceCentre) December 6, 2021

Following graduation in 2 years, they could be eligible for a variety of flight assignments including missions on and around the Moon under NASA’s Artemis Program, humanity’s concentrated push to return to the moon and build a lunar gateway station.

In a matter of years, Ms. Al Matrooshi and Mr. Al Mulla could become part of the Artemis Generation, the vanguard that leads the human race into the stars!