The Emirates is one step away from choosing its first female astronaut

Step by step, women are gaining ground and power in Emirati society. One example is that they are already part of the armed forces and about 1,500 aspire to pass the selection tests that will open the way to become astronauts and fly into space. This is accredited by the call organized by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center for access to the small astronaut corps of the Union of Arab Emirates, whose deadline for admission has been closed on May 1 and whose result has just been announced. 

Data provided by the Space Centre headed by Yousuf Hamad Al-Shaibani indicate that a total of 4,305 applications have been received and that the number of women is 1,400, representing a 32.6 per cent, i.e. one in three applicants is female. Only two places were offered and the competition would be very fierce, but it was quite possible that at least one woman, perhaps two, would be the first astronauts in the Gulf country and in the entire Arab world.

Overall, these figures represent a 7.04% increase in demands over the previous call - which had 4,022 petitioners - in which the fighter pilot Hazza AlMansoori and the military engineer Sultan AlNeyadi were selected.  

Once selected, both underwent a long period of training in Russia in order to receive the aptitude to travel into space. Only Hazza AlMansoori was able to fly to the International Space Station in late September 2019, where he stayed for eight days while his partner remained on the ground as his back-up. 

For Salem AlMarri, head of the Emirates' astronaut programme, the large number of applications received shows "the great interest" in the country in maintaining the presence of national astronauts on the international stage and "participating" in future manned space missions. 

With ages ranging from 18 to 60, most of them are around 28 years old, the degree of training of the applicants is very varied. The majority are graduates in the various branches of science. With regard to their qualifications, 3% are doctors, 16% have a master's degree, while those with a bachelor's degree or equivalent represent 48%.  

The data reflected in the applications show a wide range of original skills, mainly engineers in their various specialities (25%), managers and executives from the business world (11%), scientists (10%), pilots and technicians in the field of aviation (9%), doctors (2%) and teachers (1%). The remaining 42%, according to the Space Center, develop other skills.  

Ninety-three per cent of all applicants are graduates of educational institutions in the country itself, mostly from Khalifa and Zayed Universities. The remaining 7 percent have received their training at institutions in other countries. 

At the level of the sector in which they work, those who work in companies and parastatal or state-dependent entities predominate (40%). The rest develop their professional facet in the civil government field (30%), in the military sphere (21%) or in the private sector (9%). 

The main organisations providing candidates are largely members of the Emirates Armed Forces, the Abu Dhabi Police or the national airlines Etihad Airways and Emirates Airline. For Salem AlMarri, the fact that the number of applicants has increased and the quality of the qualifications, experience and professional skills of the applicants are "reassuring" data.  

In relation to the geographical areas from which they come, out of the seven emirates that make up the Union, the highest number of petitioners are citizens of Abu Dhabi (44%), followed by Dubai (23%), Sharjah (14%), Ajman (7%), Fujairah (6%), Ras Al Khaimah (4%) and Umm Al Quwain (2%).

Registration for the second class of the UAE Astronaut Corps opened in early December 2009, following the announcement by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE vice president and prime minister and ruler of Dubai. The interest was such that nearly a thousand applications had already been received "in the first four hours" according to the organizers. 

However, the process was slowed down by problems arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it advisable to extend the end of the admission period for applicants, initially scheduled for 30 March, to 1 May. 

However, despite the efforts and challenges involved in the training period to become an astronaut, the vast majority of candidates reflect in their applications "the desire of the people of the UAE to fulfil their passion in the space sector - despite the challenges - and contribute to shaping the future of the country’s space sector," says Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, the director of the Space Centre that organised the elimination process. 

The initial evaluation of candidates and basic medical tests are scheduled to begin next June, followed by group interviews with the short-listed candidates in August and September. For the time being, the evaluation process is scheduled to be completed in January 2021, with the appointment of the two astronauts to be trained. 

The UAE Astronaut Programme is one of the projects managed by the UAE’s National Space Programme and funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), which aims to support research and development in the ICT sector in the UAE and promote the country’s integration on the global stage.