In a little under eight months’ time there will be a UAE astronaut orbiting the Earth, proudly wearing the red, white, green and black flag on his shoulder. And either Hazza Al Mansouri or Sultan Al Niyadi will have an opportunity during their weeks-long mission on the International Space Station to gaze down at the UAE some 330 to 435 kilometres below, and wonder just how far this young nation has come.
Even though the UAE is less than five decades old, it will join the ranks of few world nations that have managed to have one of its citizens in orbit above this planet — a proud, bold and magnificent achievement and one that speaks to the ambitions and ability of the youth of this nation.
Al Mansouri and Al Niyadi were selected as astronauts for a mission to the ISS next April. One will join the space station, the other acts as backup, and they were named on Monday by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The pair were selected from more than 4,000 applicants, and passed six separate stages of assessments and a series of personal interviews by Nasa — the National Aeronautics and Space Administration — and Roscosmos, the Russian space agency.
It’s a very significant day in the history of the UAE. As Shaikh Mohammad noted in a tweet: “We have the only programme to launch a Mars rover in the region, we have the capabilities to manufacture satellites, and we have Emirati astronauts, and we have Dh20 billion investments in the space sector. And most importantly ... we have people who have no roof for their ambitions. The summary: Arabs are capable if conditions are available.”
Certainly, this nation is ambitious and capable of great things, and the resources, technology, education and inspiration provided by the leaders of the UAE, its government and officials all combine to provide both the capability and belief that anything is possible. The announcement of the two UAE astronauts along with the very significant investment in satellite and space technologies puts this nation at the forefront of exploring the next frontier. It is a trailblazing nation with ambitions beyond this planet, and for Al Mansouri and Al Niyadi, the sky and the stars beyond are within reach.
Many around the world look at the wider Middle East region with trepidation. Here, in the UAE, they should see a nation showing what is possible with harmony, ambition, leadership and resources — all ready for lift-off.
