The list of shortlisted prospective Emirati candidates to be sent to space has been further reduced to 39. This new list includes the candidates who passed the physical and psychological tests to qualify for the preliminary list of the UAE Astronaut Programme.
The Programme was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, as part of the UAE National Space Programme.
This is part of the preparations to send the first Emirati astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) in April 2019 in an agreement signed with the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos.
The current round of tests included a clinical test and a range of activities to measure intelligence, aptitude, neurocognitive ability, personality, and working memory, according to (Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre) MBRSC.
These tests were followed by one on one interviews to evaluate candidates personality in various mental and psychological aspects to measure up how will they endure unusual conditions in space.
Yousuf Al Shaibani, Director General of the MBRSC, said, “ We are proud of all the Emirati talents who registered for this ambitious programme, and we are happy with their persistence to reach highest levels."
The 39 shortlisted candidates will undergo the final assessment stage this week, which will be supervised by a team of experts from the MBRSC, in addition to international experts from international space agencies.
The final evaluation phase includes interviews conducted by the committee to have a comprehensive evaluation for each candidate as per global standards.
Recently, The UAE, represented by the MBRSC, and Russia, represented by the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos, signed an agreement to send the first Emirati astronaut to participate in scientific research in a Russian space mission to the ISS, aboard a Soyuz-MS spacecraft.