Nora Al Matrooshi is making historical past as the primary Emirati girl to finish her coaching at NASA. What does that imply? Nora can formally name herself an astronaut — a dream she’s had since she was 5 years outdated.
In honor of Muslim Ladies’s Day on March 27, we teamed up with our associates at NASA to listen to Nora’s inspiring story as she offers which means to the phrase, “If you happen to can see it, you will be it.” After graduating with a level in mechanical engineering from the United Arab Emirates College and persevering with her coaching in Finland, Nora was chosen by the United Arab Emirates Area Company (UAESA) to affix NASA’s coaching program in 2021. Her intensive astronaut coaching took two years of devoted effort, which encompassed coaching actions corresponding to simulated spacewalks in her hijab. On March 5, 2024, Nora turned the primary Arab Muslim girl to finish the rigorous program, qualifying her to take part in NASA house missions.
She is breaking gender obstacles in house exploration and empowering Muslim ladies worldwide, from her coaching at Johnson Area Heart to future missions to the moon and past. Because of her laborious work, now hundreds of thousands of women world wide will be capable of see a mirrored image of themselves within the stars.
MUSLIM GIRL: How has your religion influenced your expertise as an astronaut?
Nora Al Matrooshi: I feel constructing on what all the Muslim and Arab students have already carried out hundreds of years in the past once they have been finding out the celebs. That’s one of many issues that impressed me and made me much more wanting to pursue a profession path in house.
How do you stability the cultural significance of being an Emirati girl with the common pursuit of house exploration?
I don’t assume there’s any conflict between these two issues as a result of ever because the UAE was based, the founders of the UAE knew how essential of a task ladies play in society. So, they have been pushing for girls to be in each single discipline — and that mind-set, rising and creating has, I feel, helped the UAE attain the usual. The UAE tradition is constructed on exploring going after what you need and what you consider in. The UAE has deleted the phrase not possible from their dictionary. Plenty of our management says that on a regular basis, there’s nothing not possible within the UAE. We’re going to push past what individuals assume we are able to do. We’re going to transcend what anybody else has carried out. And we’re going to take whoever we are able to together with us.
How do you are feeling about breaking these gender obstacles in house exploration? I feel that is the primary time I’m seeing somebody that appears like me. What message would you wish to convey to aspiring feminine astronauts?
Astronauts are available many various sizes and styles. I knew that there have been some Muslim astronauts on the market, some Muslims that have been up in house, however, such as you, I’ve by no means seen one who wears a hijab that goes up into house. I’ve been requested quite a lot of questions like, “Oh, how, how will you grow to be an astronaut and nonetheless be carrying the hijab?” I don’t assume that it’s a limiting issue in any respect. As a matter of reality, for those who see astronauts once they do spacewalks, they’ve one thing that’s overlaying their head or hair. And right here at NASA, whereas doing my coaching, they’ve been very accommodating with what I’m comfy with. I’ll discuss particularly in regards to the spacewalk coaching: the workforce that works on the go well with reached out to me and requested me what they may do to assist me be capable of full the coaching and nonetheless on the identical time be comfy with what I’m carrying. Not any sort of fabric is allowed into the go well with. So, the go well with engineer ended up stitching — like, she sewed one at her home utilizing like an outdated t-shirt — a turban that I may put on to cowl my hair, for me to get into the go well with. And as soon as I’d gotten into the go well with, I put on a comp cap that covers my hair. Clearly, there are not any restrictions, nothing that will restrict my capability to do a spacewalk. If there are any discussions in regards to the materials of it, then it’s only a nonflammable materials.
Your coaching undoubtedly includes collaboration with colleagues from various backgrounds. How do you navigate cultural variations and foster teamwork in such an intense and high-stakes setting?
One of the vital essential traits that astronauts must have is an open thoughts and being workforce member. I used to be extraordinarily fortunate to be with 11 different astronauts which are that. They requested questions once they didn’t perceive something they usually have been very occupied with my tradition and faith simply to know what I’m okay with and what they’re okay with. So, they requested and I gave them the solutions that they wanted. I actually respect them asking as a result of typically I wouldn’t know what was going to occur, and they’d attain out beforehand and be like, “Nora, that is what’s gonna occur, 1 2 3 4… Is there something within the agenda that you simply’re not comfy with?” Then, if I level one thing out, they might ask, “How can we make this comfy for you?” Like I stated, one of many essential important traits so that you can be an astronaut is so that you can be versatile and be teammate, and I feel the 11 individuals who graduated with me in the present day are precisely that.
Are you able to share a memorable expertise or second out of your coaching at Johnson Area Heart and the influence it had on you?
Actually, there are quite a lot of memorable experiences for me right here. One in all them being the primary time I bought right into a T38 and we went supersonic. That’s like quicker than the pace of sound. That was wonderful. After which the second second was within the go well with within the impartial buoyancy lab. Wanting on the mock-up of the ISS within the pool and seeing, imagining, what it will really seem like for those who have been really in a go well with, doing a spacewalk on station. I feel these two moments are essentially the most memorable for me. These two moments simply let it sink in that I’ve reached the purpose that I’ve been working in the direction of for a really very long time.
With plans for future house missions, together with journeys to the moon and Mars below NASA’s Artemis program, what are your long-term targets and aspirations within the discipline of house exploration?
The United Arab Emirates has signed on to be a part of the Artemis program. The UAE, by way of the Mohammed bin Rashid Area Heart, goes to be constructing the airlock for Gateway, which is one thing much like the ISS. It’s an area station that’s going to be orbiting the moon. I wished to be an astronaut since I used to be 5. The day that I made a decision that I wished to be an astronaut was in our kindergarten class: our instructor took us on a make-believe journey to the moon, and that day I imagined myself really setting foot on the moon. That picture is what pushed me in the direction of pursuing a profession in house and eager to grow to be an astronaut. So, I’m very excited for the Artemis missions and my dream mission can be a mission to the floor of the moon.
If you happen to may select the soundtrack in your first house mission, what songs can be in your house playlist?
Oh, that’s so such query. Let’s see. I feel it will be a mix of 90’s pop music and a bunch of outdated Arabic songs. I principally hearken to every part, however I feel a mix of these two goes to be what I’m going to hearken to.
Throughout your astronaut coaching, what was essentially the most surprising or amusing problem you confronted that you simply didn’t anticipate whenever you first began this system?
I believed that my model of tenting was precise tenting, however it turned out to be what the Individuals take into account to be “glamping.” I’m a really clear particular person. I wish to be clear, and it’s actually laborious for me to go for a few days with out with the ability to take a bathe. I assume I didn’t understand simply how a lot it will trouble me not with the ability to be clear. The argument might be like, oh, you don’t have a bathe on station both, however I do have entry to water and towels and people are, I feel, ok to be clear. I feel that was one of many issues I didn’t count on.
If you happen to had the chance to share a meal in house with any historic determine or fictional character, who wouldn’t it be and what dish would you deliver from Earth to get pleasure from collectively?
I might say Ahmed Bin Majid. He was an Arab explorer that traveled the world and wrote rather a lot about his travels. I really feel like he can be an individual who would love to listen to in regards to the journey and if he was alive presently, he can be an astronaut. What meal wouldn’t it be? A salad. I really like salads, so perhaps a salad?