900 Arab Women Ready to Go to Space, as Astronaut Programme Looks for Recruits

The Astronaut Programme of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced that it will pick two new astronauts from its second batch of applications on January 2021 – and so far, 30% of the applicants are Emirati women!

The first two Emirati astronauts, Hazzaa AlMansouri and Sultan Al Neyadi, were chosen from a batch of more than 4,000 applicants in 2018, and they will be part of the selection committee finalizing the two new astronauts. Salem Al Marri, head of the UAE Astronaut Programme from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center, highlighted women’s potential in joining the program.

“More women are being encouraged to become part of the programme,” says Al Marri. “The selection process and the training are both rigorous processes. However, we believe Emirati women have the strong capability of being part of this programme.”

3,000 applicants have applied to date, ranging from 17 to 60 years of age. The deadline for the applications is March 31, though AlMarri has hinted of possibilities of an extension until May 5.