Amna Al Ketbi (Dubai)
Emirati women have written a success story in the space sector, as females constitute more than 45% of the total workforce in the space sector in the UAE, which reflects the keenness of the wise leadership to support the career and scientific development of women and their empowerment, and Emirati women have recorded a strong presence on the international space scene. Through its participation in the manufacture of satellites and its contributions and research in the space sector, which is of global interest to serve humanity and create the future of the world. One of the inspiring models is Engineer Sheikha Al Falasi, Director of the Scientific Team of the Space Simulation Mission Project. She is a graduate of New York University with a major in civil engineering. She worked at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center for 5 years. She is currently working on the space simulation project, and she is the only female member of the team.
Al-Falasi told Al-Ittihad: I worked in the sustainability department and participated in the construction of the first sustainable house, after which I moved to work on the Mars 2117 project, and we are working on building the Mars Science City. It will be built on the land, as the project includes laboratories for food, energy and water, and various agricultural tests will be conducted to meet the country’s future food security needs. She added: My entry into the space sector was a challenge, but the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center provided an ideal opportunity for training and work in the field of research and development, pointing out that Emirati women have an active role in the space sector and have achieved important achievements, and this comes with the support of the wise leadership that has worked to empower women. And activating its role so that women become partners in the process of development, progress and prosperity.
Aisha Salah al-Din Sharafi, the first Emirati engineer working on the propulsion system for the Hope Probe, and she is the leader of the propulsion systems team, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the American University of Sharjah, stated that her entry into the space sector was a dream and came true, noting that Emirati women have proven their success in various fields. sectors with the support of its wise leadership and insightful forward-looking vision.
She added: I am currently working on the propulsion systems on the MBZ SAT satellite, and other projects as well, pointing out that the space sector is a very vital sector, and Emirati women have made a distinctive imprint, as they constituted 34% of the team of the Emirates Mars Exploration Project.
Moon exploration
Engineer Reem Al-Muhaisni, commander of the thermal control system in the lunar exploration mission, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Engineering and a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, said: I worked at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center 5 years ago through the “KhalifaSat” project, in addition to the “CubeSat” project and the “CubeSat” project. Explorer Rashid. She added that the “KhalifaSat” project was the first school through which she gained confidence and experience, explaining that she is now ready to work on various new projects.
She stressed that the participation of women in the space sector reflects the huge efforts made by the UAE to empower Emirati women in all sectors, especially in the field of space, where the benefit of involving women and young cadres in particular in space exploration projects lies in creating a new generation of qualified scientists with Highly experienced, male and female engineers, trained and inspiring, with the ability to lead a new era of technical progress and scientific competitiveness.
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