In preparation for participation in the "Sirius 20/21" mission in Moscow
"Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center" selects the first Emiratis for the Emirates Space Simulation Project
Sirius Series is an international mission taking place at the Ground Experimental Complex in Moscow.
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Yesterday, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center revealed the selection of Abdullah Al Hammadi and Saleh Al Ameri to be the first two Emirati astronauts to participate in the Emirates Space Simulation Project (Mission No. 1), as part of the International Scientific Research Program at the unique Earth station “Sirius 20/21.” The missions will focus on studying the psychological and physiological effects of isolation on humans, and on team dynamics to help prepare for long-term space exploration missions.
The Center's Director General, Yousef Hamad Al Shaibani, said: "We are witnessing the beginning of a new era in the field of space exploration in the UAE, and we are proud to have Abdullah Al Hammadi and Saleh Al Ameri join our team to enhance our endeavors in this field."
He added: "We are working according to the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to enhance the position of the UAE as a global center for space science and technology, and to prepare national cadres in the field of space science, to make new scientific and knowledge contributions to humanity that guarantee sustainable growth of the global space economy.
In turn, the director of the "Mars 2117" program at the center, Engineer Adnan Al-Rais, said: "The mission of simulating life in space is extremely important, due to its positive impact in studying the reasons for maintaining the safety and health of astronauts during long-term space exploration flights," stressing that this mission is It will play a pivotal role in understanding the basic sciences of these missions, and sharing will provide us with the necessary data to help us undertake more ambitious space exploration missions, including the (Mars 2117) program.”
Al Rayes added, "The UAE's participation in the Sirius mission will play a pivotal role in developing the UAE's capabilities, and will contribute to strengthening the (Mars 2117) program, which aims to establish human settlements on Mars by 2117."
The Sirius series is an international mission that takes place in the ground-based experimental complex at the Institute of Medical and Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow, and the mission is mainly to study the effects of isolation on the human body and its health, and the mission to simulate life in space is part of the space exploration strategy included by the agency. NASA is part of the Human Research Program.
Under the mission, the crew members will be isolated, and they will be given specific tasks that they must perform without any contact with the outside world, and this contributes to the formation of the actual operation scenario. The mission also develops multiple stages and scenarios for a manned mission to Mars, which include the stages of launch, access to orbit, landing and return.
The Sirius program focuses on creating crews from diverse cultural backgrounds capable of accomplishing potentially sustainable missions to Mars or other space exploration activities, despite their cultural differences and backgrounds, and these missions are an essential part of the effort to understand our bodies' response to isolation and its implications for our bodies and all Persons within the closed space.
The center received 172 applications to fill these two positions, and the process of selecting candidates for the job relied on several factors, as applicants underwent rigorous evaluation processes in line with the best international standards.
It is noteworthy that women constituted 62% of the candidates who applied for the two positions, and the list of preferred professions for candidates included physicians, medical researchers, physiologists, biologists, life support specialists, and IT and electronics experts.
In the first stage, after reviewing the basic and language skills of the candidates, and reviewing their answers to the questions in the application form, 30 finalists were selected for interviews. The interviews focused on five key competencies necessary to accomplish the task, including teamwork, leadership, flexibility, empathy, and communication, and based on the results of the interviews, 10 potential candidates were selected to move to the second interview stage, which was conducted by a committee consisting of specialists from the MBRSC management. and its various sections.
The candidates underwent medical and psychological examinations that allowed the team to shorten the list of candidates to only six names. In the last stage, the senior management team at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center conducted a final interview, after which the final candidates were selected.
The astronauts simulating life in space are currently undergoing internal training at the center, which includes conducting experiments proposed by some local universities to be included in the mission, in addition to training in the Russian language in preparation for participating in the “Sirius 20-21” mission.
• The mission is part of the space exploration strategy included by NASA within the human research program.
• The mission extends for eight months, and aims mainly to study the effects of isolation on the human body and its health.
5 Emirati research papers included in the assignment
Given the importance of the academic role in these missions, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center invited universities in the UAE to participate in the mission. 15 Emirati universities submitted research papers, five of which were selected from four universities in the fields of physiology, psychology and biological sciences, after Consultation with mission partners in Russia.
One of the research topics, which was selected for the mission from the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, focused on the effects of long-term exposure to simulated environments of life in space on cardiovascular variability and postural reactions.
While the research topic presented by the University of Sharjah suggested a study to determine the effects of stress caused by isolation on circulatory and skeletal muscle function in crew members during the mission, with measurement of clinical, genomic, transcriptional and proteomic parameters. Sharjah on relieving psychological stress in periods of isolation and closed environments, while the United Arab Emirates University proposed research on psychological challenges posed by isolation during human flight into space: the role of motivational dynamics and intense interval training as a measure to prevent bone density loss and insulin resistance in the space environment.
Abdullah Al Hammadi
Abdullah Al Hammadi holds a Foundation degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Manchester Metropolitan University, and a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Abu Dhabi University.
Al Hammadi served in the UAE Armed Forces for 17 years, and currently holds the position of Chief of Staff of the Maintenance Department of the First and Second Classes.
Saleh Al-Amri
Saleh Al-Amri holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Khalifa University, and has also obtained a certificate of accreditation as an expert in machine monitoring and diagnostics from the Mobius Institute.
Al Ameri is currently a mechanical engineer at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), with more than six years of experience in his field. His team won second place in the 2015 Abu Dhabi Solar Challenge, where they succeeded in designing the first electric car of its kind in the Arab world , which was capable of covering a distance of up to 1200 km.
Yousef Al Shaibani:
• «We are working according to the vision of Mohammed bin Rashid to enhance the position of the UAE as a global center in the field of space sciences».
Engineer Adnan Al Rayes:
• “The mission (Sirius 20-21) will play a pivotal role in understanding the basic sciences of long-range space missions.”
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