24 UAE Women get NASA Training

Abu Dhabi, Dec 30: The UAE's first all-female team of 24 aspiring engineers, researchers and astronauts, between the ages of 12 and 18, has completed an on-site space training at the NASA Space Center, Houston. The training was organised and coordinated by Space Ed-Ventures, a UAE-based educational platform and the region's only space exploration programme. Maitha Al Zeyoudi, a 12th grade student at Applied Technology High School, said she was lucky to be nominated for the trip. "I had applied for this trip as it allowed me to further explore my interest in space and science. I was excited to know that we were going to see how real astronauts train for a mission," she said. Chosen on their academic merit and fluency in English, the 24 people worked on projects that simulate real-life scenarios. They also designed functioning rockets and operated robotic Mars rovers. Their assignments mimicked the obstacles astronauts at NASA face on a daily basis. --IANS/WAM