NASA and the UAE Space Agency (UAESA) have reportedly signed a new agreement on training of UAE astronauts for potential missions to the Internal Space Station, including space walks and long duration station missions. The progtramme will train our youths and astronauts for future mission, says HH Sheikh Mohammed of the United Arab Emirate.
In 2018, NASA and the UAE Space Agency (UAESA) signed an Implementing Arrangement (IA) that outlines cooperation across a range of areas related to space exploration and human spaceflight. The document was signed by H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills, and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine during a ceremony at the 69th International Astronautical Congress, being held in Bremen, Germany Oct. 1-5.
The IA falls under the overarching Framework Agreement signed between the UAESA and NASA in June 2016, which established a framework for areas of cooperation in ground-based research; sub-orbital research; research and flight activities in low-Earth orbit (LEO); and human and robotic exploration in the vicinity of the moon, on the lunar surface, and beyond.
Bridenstine said, “As NASA builds cooperation for the return of humans to the Moon for long-term exploration and utilization, we welcome the opportunity to expand our partnership with the UAE Space Agency as it builds its significant capabilities on Earth, in low-Earth orbit, and beyond. UAE is currently working with U.S. universities to build an orbiter “Hope”, to launch in 2020 and reach Mars in 2021. I’m delighted to sign this agreement signifying our deepening relationship as we move forward into the next phase of exploration.”
The new IA enables the training arrangements for UAE astronauts to be discussed. It also provides further opportunities for the UAE to utilize the International Space Station (ISS), and for the UAE Space Agency to contribute to lunar exploration.
H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, said “This significant agreement builds on our bilateral relationship with NASA and the U.S. space sector. It also reflects the deep economic, cultural and diplomatic ties shared between the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates. The global space sector is built on international collaboration, and we welcome these substantial opportunities to work closer than ever before with our counterparts at NASA.”
H.E. Al Falasi added, “Our national space sector has reached a highly advanced stage, particularly with regards to the opportunities and expertise prevalent throughout. By advancing our international cooperation in space, we aim to further develop these local capacities through more sophisticated space missions and drive the growth of the national space sector.
“The signing of this agreement reflects the UAE Space Agency’s commitment to further strengthening partnerships with the most important space agencies around the world, with a shared aspiration to launch space exploration projects that benefit humanity in its entirety. It is also in line with the UAE’s objectives of bolstering its presence within the global space sector,” he added.