Hazza Al Mansouri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hazzaa Al Mansoori
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Al Mansoori in 2022
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| Born | 13 December 1983 Al Wathba, United Arab Emirates
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| Other names | Hazzaa Ali Abdan Khalfan AlMansoori هَزَّاع عَلِي عَبْدان خَلْفَان ٱلْمَنْصُوْرِي |
| Alma mater | Khalifa bin Zayed Air College |
| Space career | |
| MBRSC astronaut | |
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Current occupation
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Fighter pilot, astronaut |
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Time in space
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7 days, 21 hours,1 minute |
| Selection | MBRSC Group 1 (2018) |
| Missions | Soyuz MS-15/MS-12 (19th Visiting Expedition) |
Hazzaa Al Mansoori (Arabic: هَزَّاع ٱلْمَنْصُوْرِي, romanized: Hazzāʿ Al-Manṣūrī) is a brave astronaut from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He made history as the very first person from the UAE to travel into space! His full name is Hazzaa Ali Abdan Khalfan Al Mansoori (هَزَّاع عَلِي عَبْدان خَلْفَان ٱلْمَنْصُوْرِي).
In 2019, Hazzaa went on the UAE's first science mission to the International Space Station (ISS). This mission was called 'Zayed's Ambition'. It made the UAE the 19th country in the world to send an astronaut to the ISS. It was also the first time an astronaut from the Arab region visited the space station.
Hazzaa also served as the back-up astronaut for Sultan Al Neyadi. Sultan Al Neyadi completed the longest Arab space mission. Before becoming an astronaut, Hazzaa was the youngest F-16 fighter pilot in the UAE.
On September 25, 2019, Hazzaa launched into space aboard the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft. He traveled to the International Space Station and stayed there for eight days. He returned safely to Earth in Kazakhstan on October 3, 2019, aboard the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft. This completed the UAE's first amazing astronaut mission.
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Hazzaa's Early Life and Dream of Flying
Hazzaa Al Mansoori was born on December 13, 1983. He grew up in Al Wathba, a suburb of Abu Dhabi, in the UAE. Later, his family moved to Al-Dhafra. As a child, Hazzaa loved to explore. He spent many nights in the desert of Liwa, watching the stars and meteors.
He dreamed of becoming a pilot and loved reading about airplanes and space travel. After finishing high school, his passion for space led him to study aviation. He attended the Khalifa bin Zayed Air College.
Becoming a Skilled Military Pilot
Hazzaa graduated from college in 2004. He then joined the armed forces. He quickly became one of their best military pilots. His excellent skills helped him become a top candidate to fly the F-16B60 fighter jet.
He traveled to Arizona, USA, to train on this aircraft for three years. After returning to the UAE, he finished his training. Four years later, Hazzaa became the youngest military pilot to fly the F-16. He also became a pilot who could test and evaluate aircraft. He was one of the first Arab and Emirati pilots to perform at the Dubai Air Show. He also flew in shows for UAE National Day in 2017 and the UAE Air Force's 50th anniversary in 2018.
Joining the UAE Astronaut Program
On December 6, 2017, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister, invited young Emiratis to join the UAE Astronaut Program. Hazzaa Al Mansoori was one of the first astronauts chosen for this program.
The program was started by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Its goal is to train Emirati astronauts and send them on scientific missions to space.
Training to Become an Astronaut
Hazzaa was chosen from 4,022 people who wanted to become astronauts. He went through many mental and physical tests in the UAE and other countries. His strong military background helped him a lot with the physical fitness tests. He had already completed tough training to become an F-16B60 instructor and a demo pilot.
His training included a water survival course and a GYRO LAP Course, which prepares pilots for strong G-forces. He also took a Spatial Disorientation course and participated in the RED Flag Exercise in Las Vegas, USA.
Hazzaa's Historic Space Mission
On September 3, 2018, Sheikh Mohammed announced the first astronauts for the International Space Station: Hazzaa Al Mansoori and Sultan Al Neyadi. He said they represented all young Arabs and the UAE's big dreams.
Hazzaa trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia. This was part of an agreement between the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and the Russian space agency Roscosmos. He also trained in Houston, Texas, and Cologne, Germany. These trainings were part of partnerships with other space agencies like NASA, ESA, and JAXA.
In April 2019, the MBRSC announced that Hazzaa would be the main astronaut for an eight-day mission to the ISS. Hazzaa was assigned to the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft. He flew with Russian commander Oleg Skripochka and American flight engineer Jessica Meir. They stayed on the ISS for a longer time. Hazzaa returned to Earth after eight days aboard the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft. He traveled with Russian commander Aleksey Ovchinin and American flight engineer Nick Hague.
Hazzaa, Skripochka, and Meir launched on September 25, 2019, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. They spent less than six hours flying in space before docking with the Zvezda module on the ISS. After docking, the hatches opened. Hazzaa, Skripochka, and Meir went inside to meet their six crewmates.
Life and Experiments on the Space Station
Hazzaa's training for the ISS mission was very thorough. He learned about all parts of the ISS and how to use its equipment. He practiced emergency fire drills and how to handle low pressure or ammonia leaks. He also had survival training in case his capsule landed in a cold forest.
He also trained to wear his spacesuit, which weighed about 10 kilograms, in zero gravity. He learned how to do daily tasks like preparing food and using cameras to record events. He took pictures of Earth and communicated with ground stations. Hazzaa completed over 90 courses, totaling more than 1,400 hours of training.
During Hazzaa's short stay, nine people were on the ISS at the same time. This was a special arrangement for his mission. While on the ISS, Hazzaa did 15 experiments designed by UAE school students. These experiments were chosen through an MBRSC "Science in Space" competition. He also did Earth observation experiments. He filmed the first-ever tour of the ISS in Arabic. He also became the first Middle Eastern person to be studied after spending time in microgravity.
Returning to Earth and Future Role
On October 3, 2019, Hazzaa, Ovchinin, and Hague boarded the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft. They undocked from the ISS and began their journey back to Earth. After about five hours of flying in space, they landed safely on the Kazakh Steppe. Hazzaa was then flown to Star City, Russia, before returning home to the UAE.
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Hazzaa successfully completed his first year of training at NASA's Johnson Space Center in 2021. He is now ready to work as an operator on the International Space Station. He trained in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL), which simulates space walks underwater. He also passed tests using the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), which is a spacesuit. His training included maintaining the ISS and rescuing incapacitated crew members. He also completed training on the T-38 jet. In 2022, The Karman Project recognized him as a Karman Fellow for his important work in space.
What is a Spaceflight Participant?
When Hazzaa flew to space, his role was called a "spaceflight participant" (uchastnik kosmicheskovo poleta in Russian). This term was used in documents from Roscosmos and NASA. After his mission ended on October 3, 2019, NASA updated the term. They now refer to Hazzaa as a "visiting astronaut." The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre calls his mission "UAE Astronaut Mission 1" or "Zayed's Ambition."
See also
In Spanish: Hazza Al Mansouri para niños
- Timeline of space travel by nationality
- Sultan Al Neyadi
- UAE Space Agency
