Dubai: UAE has revealed that it has signed an agreement with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to train Emirati astronauts for potential missions to the International Space Station (ISS).
Such missions would include space walks and long-haul station missions, UAE Prime Minister and Vice-President and Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced on Twitter.
During a media briefing, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) UAE Astronaut Programme head Salem AlMarri said astronauts Hazzaa AlMansoori and Sultan AlNeyadi have already begun their training at NASA's Johnson Space Centre in Houston on Monday.
In September 2018, they had trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Moscow, as part of their preparation for their launch to the ISS, Khaleej Times reported.
Two more Emirati astronauts will undergo training at NASA as per the agreement, AlMarri said.
MBRSC chairman Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori said the strategic partnership with NASA, a space pioneer for more than 60 years, supports the strategy of the UAE's National Space Programme.
"Emirati astronauts will benefit from NASA's extensive infrastructure, experience and knowledge in spaceflight development and operations."
"This agreement is a clear testament of the strong economic, cultural and diplomatic ties between the UAE and the USA."
The UAE Astronaut Programme is one of the projects managed by the MBRSC and funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, which aims to support research and development in the ICT sector in the UAE.
It was on July 19, 2020, that the UAE successfully launched the Mars Hope Probe, marking the Arab world's first interplanetary mission.
Launched from the Japanese space centre, the $200 million project called Al Amal, meaning the Hope, is scheduled to reach Mars orbit in February 2021, coinciding with the UAE's 50th National Day.