Mohammad Al Mulla

Mohammad Al Mulla
Mohammad AlMulla (Arabic: محمد الملا; born in 1988) is an Emirati astronaut and one of the candidates chosen in the second batch of the UAE Astronaut Programme. He will train along the NASA Astronaut Group 23 of astronauts to the function of international mission specialist.
He is a pilot and leads the Training Department at the Air Wing Center at Dubai Police.
Personal life
AlMulla's passion for space is interlinked with his love for aviation. His interest in the field was further prompted after the first batch of the UAE Astronaut Programme was announced and after meeting UAE astronauts: Hazzaa AlMansoori and Sultan AlNeyadi at an airshow in 2019. AlMulla considers Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum his role model, and finds inspiration in his unique work ethic, management skills, and goal-oriented mindset. When it comes to space-exploration, AlMulla's role models are the Emirati astronauts Hazzaa AlMansoori and Sultan AlNeyadi. AlMulla lives by the saying: “The person who pursues their goal in life will achieve it, no matter how long it takes.” His dream is becoming part of the first Emirati space team to explore the Moon and hopes to train astronauts in a dedicated centre in the future.
Some of AlMulla's other hobbies include football, photography, chess, the last is a game he has been playing for over 20 years.
Education and Professional Career
Born in Dubai in 1988, by the age of 19, AlMulla had obtained a commercial pilot’s license from the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), making him the youngest pilot in Dubai Police. By the age of 28, he had set another record by becoming the youngest trainer in the same organization after receiving his pilot trainer license from GCAA. He obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Law and Economics in 2015 and an Executive Master's of Public Administration from the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in 2021. With over 15 years of experience, he also served as the Head of Training Department at the Air Wing Centre at Dubai Police.
Achievements
AlMulla was given a Bravery Medal by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and he was also given the Commander in Chief Award for Best Officer in a Specialised Field, as well as the Dubai Police Global Excellence Award.
The UAE Astronaut Program
The UAE Astronaut Programme is one of the projects overseen by MBRSC under the UAE’s National Space Programme. It is funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA). The Programme's main objective is to foster the UAE's global integration and advance research and development in the ICT sector.
AlMulla was one of the two astronauts selected in the second batch of the UAE Astronaut Programme, launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. He was chosen from over 4,000 applicants after a series of rigorous mental and physical tests in the UAE and abroad.
Training
In preparation for future space missions, AlMulla began his training with NASA's 10-member Astronaut Candidate Class of 2021 at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas in 2022. The training covers five main categories in the span of two years, including operating and maintaining the International Space Station's (ISS) complex systems, training for spacewalks, developing complex robotics skills, safely operating a T-38 training jet, and acquiring Russian language skills.
He also recently completed a series of training exercises, ranging from survival training at Alabama's Fort Novosel to mastering the art of suiting up at NASA’s Johnson Space Centre's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.
He also visited the Marshall Space Flight Center, where he met with the Center’s leadership and learned more about its missions, programs, and projects. Also, he experienced the V20 Thermal Vacuum Chamber, which is currently used to simulate lunar environments and plume surface interaction for lunar landing scenario planning.
AlMulla is set to graduate in early 2024 as a flight-eligible astronaut, potentially contributing to research aboard the ISS or undertaking other space missions.
See also
Timeline of space travel by nationality
UAE Space Agency
References
Further reading
Living people
1988 births
Emirati astronauts