Nasa chief welcomes Emirati astronauts embarking on two-year training programme – The National

Nasa chief welcomes Emirati astronauts embarking on two-year training programme – The National

Nasa chief Bill Nelson has welcomed the UAE’s newest astronauts to the space agency’s training programme in Houston, Texas.

On Monday, a ceremony was held at the Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base to introduce Nasa's 2021 class of astronaut candidates. The candidates will train for two years to qualify for missions to the International Space Station and to the Moon under the Artemis programme.

Mohammed Al Mulla, 33, a Dubai Police helicopter pilot, and Nora Al Matrooshi, 28, a mechanical engineer, will train with American astronauts as part of an agreement between Nasa and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre.