Nora Al Matrooshi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nora AlMatrooshi
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| نورا المطروشي | |
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AlMatrooshi in 2024
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| Born | 1993 (age 31–32) Emirate of Sharjah, UAE
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| Status | Active |
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| MBRSC astronaut | |
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Nora AlMatrooshi (born in 1993) is a super inspiring astronaut from the UAE. She is the very first Emirati and Arab woman to become an astronaut! Nora was chosen for the UAE Astronaut Programme. In 2024, she finished her special training with NASA and earned her astronaut pin. This means she is now a fully qualified astronaut, ready for exciting missions to space!
Contents
Nora's Journey: Education and Work
Nora AlMatrooshi studied mechanical engineering at the United Arab Emirates University. She also spent a semester learning in Finland. Before becoming an astronaut, Nora worked as an engineer. She helped build important pipelines for big companies like ADNOC. She was also a leader for young people at the National Petroleum Construction Company. Later, she worked as a technical expert at ADNOC.
Nora's Achievements and Youth Work
Nora is very good at engineering and math. She was part of the UAE team for a big math competition in 2011. In 2013, she was chosen for a special program in South Korea. Nora loves helping young people. She has created many projects to support them. She also represented the UAE at the UN International Youth Conference in 2018 and 2019.
What Inspires Nora?
Nora AlMatrooshi is inspired by important leaders and famous astronauts. She looks up to H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. She also admires the first person on the Moon, Neil Armstrong. Nora lives by a simple but powerful idea: 'Do what makes you happy.'
Nora's Dreams for Space
Nora has big dreams for her country. She wants to help the UAE become even more famous in space exploration. Her biggest dream is to land on the Moon one day. She hopes to do this aboard a spacecraft from the UAE! When she's not busy with space, Nora enjoys reading, writing, drawing, and riding horses.
The UAE Astronaut Programme
The UAE Astronaut Programme is a big project. It is managed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). This program is part of the UAE’s National Space Programme. It helps support new ideas and research in technology. It also helps the UAE connect with other countries in space.
How Nora Was Chosen
Nora was one of only two astronauts chosen for the second group of this program. More than 4,000 people applied! The program was started by important leaders in the UAE. These leaders are H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Astronaut Training
Nora went through a lot of tough training. First, she trained at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). This training included swimming, scuba diving, and survival exercises. She also worked on improving her strength and stamina.
NASA Training for Space
After her initial training, Nora joined NASA's astronaut class in 2021. She trained at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Her training covered five main areas. She learned how to do spacewalks in a special pool. She also learned about robots and how the ISS works. Nora even learned to fly a T-38 jet and took Russian language lessons. She also had advanced survival training and learned about Earth's geology. This helps astronauts understand rocks on other planets.
See also
- Timeline of space travel by nationality
- UAE Space Agency
