UAE astronauts Nora AlMatrooshi, Mohammad AlMulla get spacewalk training in massive indoor pool at Nasa

UAE astronauts Nora AlMatrooshi, Mohammad AlMulla get spacewalk training in massive indoor pool at Nasa

As part of Nasa’s 2021 astronaut candidate class training programme, Emirati astronauts Nora AlMatrooshi and Mohammad AlMulla are on track with their extensive training regimen. Both astronauts are undergoing spacewalk training at Nasa's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

This follows a recent series of demanding exercises, including survival training at Alabama's Fort Novosel and a detailed orientation at the Marshall Space Flight Center in the USA. AlMatrooshi and AlMulla’s training in the NBL, the world's largest indoor pool used for simulated spacewalk training, is a crucial phase on the way to completing their astronaut training.

The NBL's primary function is to prepare astronauts for space missions involving Extravehicular Activities (EVAs) or spacewalks. The UAE astronauts are currently undergoing training in the depths of the massive facility, which spans 202 ft in length, 102 ft in width, and 40 ft in depth, to master intricate procedures necessary for space exploration.

Neutral buoyancy, simulating the weightlessness experienced in space, is a core part of this training. The facility allows astronauts to become neutrally buoyant, allowing for the manipulation of large objects - similar to the conditions of microgravity in space. The NBL currently provides the most accurate training