The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center announced the results of the second phase of the "Emirates Simulation of Space" project for the candidates of the first mission of the project, which included 10 candidates from more than 100 applicants, provided that only two of them would be selected in the final stage ... one of them is "basic" and the other is a reserve. "Together they form the number one crew.
This mission comes as part of the "International Scientific Research in the Unique Earth Station" program known as "Sirius" .. The mission includes an eight-month life simulation experiment in the space environment and is conducted at the Institute of Biomedical Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow ..
The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center had announced the opening of registration for participation in the program last February.
The mission will focus on studying the impact of isolation in a closed place for a long period of time on the psychological and physical condition of the human being, within the framework of the "Mars 2117" strategy launched by the United Arab Emirates with the aim of supporting research to make future long trips to space exploration.
This mission provides an opportunity for UAE youth from various scientific fields to be part of a pivotal experience that will lay the foundations for the design and implementation of future space missions and draw a road map for exploring Mars and other planets as it mainly contributes to developing local capabilities to contribute to the implementation of the Mars 2117 strategy aimed at building the first human settlement on The surface of the red planet by the year 2117.
Participation in this program stipulated that the applicant must be a citizen of the United Arab Emirates and that his age ranges between 25 and 55 years, with mastery of communication in the English language, while the preference will be among applicants for specialists in any of the following fields .. "Physics, biology, forensic medicine, psychology, and mechanical engineering And information technology and electronics. "
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center revealed today the results of this stage, which included five women candidates, among them the youngest candidates, who are 25 years old, while the oldest candidate is a man who is 40 years old. The list showed that all candidates are from diverse professional backgrounds, including engineering, medicine and science.
The center explained that the ten candidates applied to them the primary criteria that qualified them to join the list in addition to their skills and their ability to remain calm under pressure and enjoy strong personalities independent and show them analytical skills in addition to some other skills.
"The UAE has made great strides in the field of research and space exploration thanks to the wise long-term vision of rational leadership, which is the main driver in our continued development of our local capabilities and progress towards building a knowledge-based economy through participation in global projects," said General Manager of Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, Youssef Hamad Al-Shaibani. On the scale of a project - International Scientific Research on the Unique Earth Station - Cirrus 20/21 ".
He added that the Emirates space simulation project represents a great importance for us, as it is a unique platform on a global level, allowing us to work with elite international experts in various fields that include health, science and technology and other fields, those experiences that will fortify the space programs for the Emirates in the region for the coming years.
It is scheduled that all ten candidates undergo a medical examination to ensure their level of physical fitness and ensure that they do not suffer from any chronic disease, and then the candidates will undergo psychological tests through interviews that will be conducted with them remotely. These tests vary between the ability of the candidates to work together and measure their commitment to the instructions and their ability To remain calm when exposed to pressure along with their ability to manage time effectively in addition to some other tests .. After these tests are completed, the final interviews of the candidates will be conducted with a team that includes experts from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in the first week of May next year to be Then choose the number one crew consisting of two people, one primary and one backup.
For his part, the director of the "Mars 2117" program at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center Adnan Al-Rayes said, "We are pleased with the great capabilities that we have touched on the candidates who were chosen for the preliminary list of the Emirates space simulation project because they are all highly qualified and highly educated, especially with regard to the skills required for the mission, so I think we We are able to overcome mission-related challenges and look forward to selecting the final crew members from this group of talented candidates. Their extensive experience, along with the experiences of other crew members selected for the mission, will contribute to achieving the goals of the Mars 2117 strategy and enable us to Face greater challenges in our space exploration trip. "
It is noteworthy that this project comes within the initiatives of the Mars 2117 Strategy and is sponsored by the Telecommunications and Information Technology Development Fund, the financing arm of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.