First Arab female astronaut to graduate from NASA training course

Al Matrooshi recalls a space class in elementary school in which the teacher simulated a trip to the Moon using a handmade spacesuit and a rocket ship tent.

She said: "We walked out of the tent and saw that the teacher had turned off the lights in the classroom. She covered everything with a gray cloth and told us that we were on the Moon." 

The lesson made a deep impression on Al Matrooshi, sparking her passion for space exploration. That vivid memory inspired Al Matrooshi to pursue a real-life journey to the Moon.

Now, dressed in a blue suit embroidered with her name and the flag of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Al Matrooshi reflects on the moment that set her on the path to becoming an astronaut.

Al Matrooshi is one of two astronauts selected by the United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) to participate in NASA's astronaut training course in 2021.

Some of the subjects Al Matrooshi has studied are robotics, International Space Station (ISS) systems and flying supersonic jets. She also participated in spacewalk training at one of the world's largest indoor swimming pools.

Nora Al Matrooshi (right) at the graduation ceremony at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas (USA), March 5, 2024.

After two years of hard study, Al Matrooshi, former Dubai Police helicopter pilot Mohammad Al Mulla and 10 others in training became qualified astronauts. The group, known as "The Flies," are now eligible to participate in NASA missions to the ISS, the Artemis Moon mission, and if all goes well, they could fly to Mars.

Earlier this year, UAESA announced plans to build an airlock for Gateway, the space station being developed to orbit the Moon. Al Matrooshi said: "I want to take humans further. I want humans to go back to the Moon and I want humans to go further, beyond the Moon. I want to be part of that journey."

After completing the course, Al Matrooshi expressed her desire to share her training experiences with her grandmother, who played an important role in shaping her and her mother's path.

Al Matrooshi's grandmother was an advocate of feminism and also inspired her children and grandchildren to pursue education.

"She always wanted to show her children that they were good and she inspired my mother to be herself. Then, she inspired me to become who I am today," she said . .

Recently, an article in Nature magazine by Dr. Farhan M. Asrar, Safa Siddiqui and PhD. Soyeon Yi addressed the advancement of Arab women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

In the field of space, the article gives examples of pioneering Arab women in this field, including Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Saudi female astronaut to fly into space on an eight-day trip last year.

In the Arab world, the proportion of women in the space sector is increasing. According to UNESCO, 34% - 57% of STEM graduates in Arab countries are female. This number is much higher than universities in the US or Europe. The number of Arab women working in the international space industry accounts for 20% - 22% of the workforce.