Nora Al Matrooshi, the UAE’s First Female Astronaut: A Role Model for Women and Girls Everywhere

Nora Al Matrooshi is a 29-year-old Emirati astronaut who is currently training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. She is the first Arab woman and first Emirati woman to be selected for NASA’s astronaut training program, and she is set to become the first Emirati woman and the first Arab woman to go to space in 2024.

Since she was a child, Nora Al Matrooshi has dreamed of becoming an astronaut. “It all started when my kindergarten teacher asked us to build a tent and pretend it was a spacecraft taking us to the Moon,” she said. “From that moment on, I’ve been passionate about becoming an astronaut.”

Nora Al Matrooshi graduated from the United Arab Emirates University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. She then trained at Vaasa University of Applied Sciences in Finland. Before becoming the first Arab female astronaut, she worked as an engineer at The National Petroleum Construction Company. She is also a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

In 2021, Al Matrooshi was selected to join NASA’s Astronaut Group 23. She has been training alongside her colleague Mohammed Al Mulla at the Johnson Space Center , and they are both set to graduate as flight-eligible astronauts in 2024.

Al Matrooshi’s selection as the UAE‘s first female astronaut is a significant milestone for the country and for women in the Arab world. It is a sign of the UAE’s commitment to space exploration and to promoting women in STEM fields.

Al Matrooshi is a role model for women and girls everywhere. She shows that anything is possible, regardless of your gender or background. She is also a passionate advocate for space exploration, and she believes that it has the potential to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges.

Al Matrooshi’s mission to space is a historic one, and it is sure to inspire a new generation of women and girls to pursue their dreams in STEM fields. She is a role model for us all, and we are excited to see what the future holds for her and for the UAE’s space program.