Abu Dhabi: Young Emirati college students were given an insight into what space flight is really like, thanks to the first-hand experiences of Italian astronaut Maurizio Cheli, who delivered a talk at Abu Dhabi Men’s College on Tuesday.

Organised by the Italian embassy and the UAE Space Agency, the event is part of a broader campaign aimed at fostering a growing level of interest in the area of space exploration, a sector in which the UAE has invested heavily. .

“When I was a young boy I saw an aeroplane fly overhead, and so I looked up and said that one day I want to become a pilot, and since I was a child I never changed my mind and just followed my passion,” said Cheli to a large crowd of Emirati students, encouraging them not to be dissuaded from following their own passion and career ambitions.

“People often ask me if it’s difficult to become an astronaut, and the best characteristic I often put forward for an astronaut is patience, because going into space is very complicated, and it normally takes a couple of years to become an astronaut after a lot of training,” he explained.

Once the training is complete, there is no feeling comparable to going into space according to Cheli. “I define space flight as flying power number two, because the person not only flies in a machine around the earth, but also with their body. The astronaut is basically floating around the earth and it’s an extraordinary sensation,” he said.

Describing the process and energy it takes to launch the spacecraft into space, Cheli gave a detailed account of what it feels like to be in that moment of liftoff.

“Launching into space is extremely physical, when the engines and boosters ignite, the whole aircraft begins to shake and vibrate, especially for the first two minutes,” he said.

“The engines burn approximately five million litres of liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen, which is a temperature of minus 200 degrees. The aircraft has to go from an altitude of zero and a speed of zero to an altitude of 400 kilometres at more than 20 times the speed of sound in about eight and a half minutes, so it takes a massive amount of energy,” he added.

Cheli highlighted some of the speeds the aircraft breaks once it becomes airborne. “In less than 40 seconds the space shuttle becomes supersonic which means it is faster than any commercial jet. In a minute and a half the shuttle becomes faster than any military aircraft, and in about two minutes the shuttle is flying at five times the speed of sound,” he said.

Watching the planet earth from above also gave Cheli a new perspective and meaning. “From space we don’t see the earth as a ball, but we look down and see the continents… It gives a very different feeling about our position in the universe,” he said.

“I haven’t come across any astronaut that came back from space without thinking of earth in a totally different way,” he added.

For his part, Dr Mohammad Al Ahbabi, director-general of the UAE Space Agency, said he hoped that the UAE’s space ambitions would inspire the youth of the country.

“We as a country understand that space is something that motivates young people, and it also acts as a platform for innovation,” he said.

“The idea in bringing these speakers is to act as an inspiration for the next generation as they are the backbone of the space programme. The key for any successful space programme is the human factor,” he added.

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The UAE Space Agency has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) aimed at strengthening joint strategic cooperation between the two agencies in the short and long term. The MoU was signed during a visit this week by a high-level delegation, including representatives from ASI and the Italian Embassy in the UAE, who met key actors in the UAE space sector.

The visit complemented the terms of the agreement approved by the two sides during a visit by the UAE Space Agency to ASI last year shortly after the founding of the agency.

The MoU promotes cooperation in various aspects of space exploration, including space science, technology, services, and applications, as well as the exchange of space experiences, studies, and research. In addition to this, the MoU encourages holding visits, scientific conferences and lectures, and training and rehabilitation sessions for specialised staff, all of which contributes positively to supporting the space programmes in the two countries.

Dr Khalifa Al Rumaithi, chairman of the UAE Space Agency, said: “The UAE and Italy have longstanding business and cooperation relations in various sectors and areas, and this cooperation in the space sector further reinforces the relationship between the two countries. We are pleased to welcome the Italian Space Agency to the UAE and introduce it to the UAE space sector and the main actors in it.”

Professor Roberto Battiston, president of the Italian Space Agency, said: “We met in Italy last year to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation and partnership between the two sides in the space field. I am pleased that we were able to achieve this on the ground and that today marks the launch of this vital cooperation.”

He added: “We were introduced today to the UAE’s ambitious space programme. We are proud to be partners with the UAE in achieving its objectives in this sector.”