The UAE is fostering a new generation of space explorers and scientists through its strong collaboration with Nasa and other US partners, with the “Emirates Airlock” as a key initiative currently in development.
This was reinforced during the historic meeting of President Sheikh Mohamed with US President Joe Biden in Washington, DC on September 23.
This visit was the first by a UAE President to Washington and represented the fourth bilateral meeting between the leaders during the Biden-Harris Administration.
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The two heads of state emphasised the groundbreaking collaboration between the UAE and the US in space exploration, as well as their mutual interest in advancing their understanding of the universe.
Teams work together to create new projects
In the light of this meeting, Danny Sebright President of the US-UAE Business Council said, “The Mars and the Artemis are going to be the focus…this ‘airlock’… this space project is to make the moon a jumping-off point for the future. The two agencies already have a 10-15-year programme. They are not only going to grow with their astronauts themselves, but they’re going to grow with the real research and development, with the teams working together to create new projects.”
It is reiterated that more UAE astronauts will also undergo training at the Johnson Space Centre. The collaborations between Nasa and the UAE Space Agency, as well as Nasa and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC), are set to expand further.
“It is important that we go forward, and we push even harder in these areas. The Emiratis want to explore the asteroids, we want too as well. We want to do this together… with all the aspects of Mars, with Artemis and everything else,” added Sebright, while speaking to Khaleej Times.
Heralding a new era of exploration
Sharing the collective spirit and aspirations of humanity’s quest in space, the leaders reaffirmed the principles of the Artemis Accords, emphasising the exploration and utilisation of outer space for peaceful purposes, thereby heralding a new era of exploration.
As per the Whitehouse Government Briefing, “The leaders highlighted the January 2024 Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center agreement with Nasa for the Centre to provide an airlock for Gateway, humanity’s first space station to orbit the Moon supported by Nasa’s missions for long-term Moon exploration under the Artemis Program.”
Notably, in March 2024, the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC even hosted an event celebrating UAE-US collaboration in space, attended by senior officials from both nations, including Nasa Administrator Bill Nelson and UAE Minister of Youth and Astronaut, Sultan Al Neyadi.
What is the Gateway?
The “Gateway” space station will be humanity’s first international station to orbit the Moon enabling ongoing exploration and research in deep space, offering astronauts a place to live and work, allowing equipment transfers and acting as a hub for lunar missions, and facilitating spacewalks in lunar orbit.
The team from MBRSC, headed by Director General Salem Humaid AlMarri, has started developing the airlock module and has held multiple meetings with Nasa’s Gateway team at the Johnson Space Centre to collaborate on creating humanity’s first lunar station.
This partnership builds upon the previous collaboration between Nasa and the UAE in human spaceflight.
In 2023, Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi was part of the longest Arab space mission when he blasted off to the International Space Station (ISS), contributing to scientific research in the orbital laboratory to advance human knowledge and enhance life on Earth.
Fifth anniversary of Hazzaa Al Mansouri’s launch to ISS
Meanwhile, Wednesday marks the fifth anniversary of Emirati astronaut Hazzaa Al Mansouri’s launch to the ISS.
In 2019, Hazzaa made history as the first UAE national to travel to space, where he collaborated with Nasa aboard the ISS, conducting experiments and participating in educational outreach.
He launched alongside Soyuz MS-15 commander Oleg Skripochka and flight engineer Jessica Meir from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The trio spent just under six hours in free flight before docking with the Zvezda module on the ISS.