The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is actively working on its space program and has announced that it will participate in several upcoming analogue missions. These missions will involve conducting field tests in locations that replicate the extreme space environments of a target mission. The UAE is keen to develop analogue facilities to train its future astronauts, and these missions will help them gain the necessary knowledge and experience to do so.
According to Adnan Al Rais, manager of the Mars 2117 program, the UAE participated in its first analogue mission in 2021. Saleh Al Ameri, the UAE’s first analogue astronaut, participated in an eight-month mission in an environment of total isolation in cooperation with NASA and Roscosmos. He lived in confinement with crew members from those two agencies, and the mission was completed successfully in July of last year.
Al Rais noted that by participating in these missions, the UAE gains knowledge and experience on how to operate and manage analogue facilities. Additionally, they can identify the gaps in the technologies that are required to develop such facilities. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) is actively planning to expand along with their partners, and Al Rais points out that building analogue facilities in the country would make it easier for Emirati astronauts to have access to training in simulated environments.
Through these missions, the UAE is also gaining an understanding of the state-of-the-art facilities that are required for analogues. They wish to build similar facilities in the UAE so that the international space community can benefit from them. Al Rais added that the UAE will be announcing its next analogue mission shortly. These spaceflight simulation studies help the industry gather requirements for testing in harsh environments before they are used in space.
The UAE’s first analogue astronaut, Saleh Al Ameri, completed his eight-month-long isolation mission on July 3 at the NEK ground-based analogue facility in Moscow, Russia. Al Rais notes that they will be announcing the next analogue mission soon, which will be another opportunity to develop their knowledge and experience. They also learn lessons from the international space community, which will help them design such facilities in the future in the UAE.
The analogue mission, known as Sirius 20/21, studied the psychological and physiological effects of isolation on individuals and team dynamics to help prepare for long-term space exploration missions. The UAE is keen to participate in more missions like this and develop the necessary facilities to train its future astronauts.
The UAE has been working hard to establish its presence in the space industry. In 2019, Hazzaa Al Mansoori became the first Emirati astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS). The UAE also launched its first satellite in 2009 and plans to establish a human settlement on Mars by 2117.
The UAE is making significant strides in the space industry and is keen to continue developing its capabilities. Participation in analogue missions will help the country gain valuable experience and knowledge, allowing it to build state-of-the-art facilities and train future astronauts. With plans to establish a human settlement on Mars, the UAE is on track to become a major player in the space industry in the coming years.
