In a recent announcement made by Dubai’s Crown Prince, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE’s new space missions will take place in 2024.
Making waves in the space ventures, Nora Al Matrooshi has become the first female not only in the UAE but in the Arab world to become an astronaut. While the 30-year-old has become the first female Emirati and Arab astronaut, it was never her main goal to do so.
All set to embark on a trailblazing space mission in 2024, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, said Emirati astronauts Mohammed Al Mulla and Nora Al Matrooshi will be a part of the mission after their graduation next year.
Next mission
I chaired a board meeting of the @MBRSpaceCentre and laid out the blueprint for new ambitious initiatives.
The next phase of our journey will see groundbreaking Emirati space ventures.
We aim to be a major player in shaping the future of space exploration.
We seek to raise the… pic.twitter.com/BcZGofmOMS
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) October 2, 2023
During this mission, the UAE’s first female astronaut Nora Al Matrooshi is ready to embark on a space mission, after graduation, contributing to the UAE’s growing quest for space exploration.
Sharing on his official X account, formerly Twitter, Sheikh Hamdan revealed that he chaired a meeting of the Dubai-based Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and offered an update on the Emirate’s ambitious space exploration future plans.
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Education
After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UAE University in 2015, Sharjah-born Al Matrooshi gained several years of experience in the field.
Known for her impressive educational background, she graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the United Arab Emirates University and further enhanced her skills through a specialised training at the Vaasa University of Applied Sciences in Finland.
Al Matrooshi also previously represented the UAE at the United Nations Youth Conference in summer 2018 and winter 2019.
Her childhood passion
She’s been dreaming of becoming an astronaut since she was a child.
“I first started dreaming of becoming an astronaut when my teacher in kindergarten asked us to build a tent and pretend it was a spacecraft that was taking us to the Moon,” she said during the recent press conference. “Since then I’ve become extremely passionate about becoming an astronaut.”
“I’ve been working in the oil and gas field for several years, but my dream about becoming an astronaut never went away,” she continued. “This is a life-changing opportunity. The dream I’ve had since a child has come true. Now, I’ve started dreaming bigger.”
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Images: Instagram @noraalmatrooshi
