Watch: UAE pilot recalls living in 'isolated spaces' during Mars simulation

Watch Watch: UAE pilot recalls living in 'isolated spaces' during Mars simulation - Khaleej Times on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00T-minus one minute.

00:07I am proud to represent the UAE on an international stage,

00:11and I hope that my participation in the Hera mission will be a source of inspiration and motivation for the UAE youth generation.

00:22I have been a pilot since 2007,

00:25and I recently participated with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center and NASA

00:29in a study on life on Mars.

00:32There were four of us in a team,

00:34and I was the only pilot in the group.

00:37Participating as a pilot was a strategic step by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center.

00:43Of course, it was an exceptional experience that lasted for 45 days,

00:47and it included 18 studies, including 6 studies from UAE universities.

00:52The focus of these studies was on understanding the impact of living in confined and isolated places

00:58on the performance of people with disabilities and mental health.

01:01We, as people with disabilities, worked according to a strict schedule,

01:05and we did many activities, including walking on the surface of Mars,

01:10and interacting with the control center in Houston to manage the daily studies.

01:17Cooperating with NASA strengthens my position in the UAE in terms of cooperating with international space agencies,

01:24and this, of course, helps provide opportunities to exchange technologies and resources

01:30to develop the space sector in the UAE.