Dubai: Given the huge turnout for registration for the second batch of the UAE Astronaut Programme, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has extended the deadline for application submissions until March 31. The extension aims to provide Emiratis aspiring to engage in scientific exploration and manned space missions the opportunity to enroll in the programme. Applicants should be UAE nationals above 18 years, have proficiency in Arabic and English and be university graduates (Bachelor’s or higher degrees). All professions will be considered, from engineers to pilots, military personnel to teachers and those involved in STEM and other professions. Yousuf Hamad AlShaibani, Director General of MBRSC, said: “The great interest in joining the second batch of the programme reflects the ambition of UAE citizens and their keenness to achieve the UAE’s goals in the field of space exploration and realise more milestones in space science and research.”