Emirati pilot prepares to 'return to Earth' at end of 45-day Mars simulation mission

Shareef Al Romaithi has spent more than six weeks in near-isolation in Nasa habitat in Texas

Emirati pilot Shareef Al Romaithi has tackled a series of tasks with three American colleagues inside the Mars simulation. Photo: Nasa

An Emirati pilot is preparing to “return to Earth” at the end of a 45-day Mars simulation mission inside a Nasa habitat in Houston, Texas.

Shareef Al Romaithi, 39, a captain with Etihad Airways, began the experiment on May 10 with three American crew members. The mission has involved using virtual reality to "walk" on the surface of Mars, as well as working on problems that arose on the “spaceship”.

The crew are set to exit the Human Exploration Research Analogue (Hera) facility – a three-storey habitat – on June 24, Nasa said.

Speaking publicly from inside the habitat for the first time, Mr Al Romaithi, a father of three, said the countdown to the end of the experiment has begun.

“As you can imagine, living in such a unique environment, it’s only natural to miss a lot of things in life,” he said in a video shared by Nasa's Johnson Space Centre.

“I personally miss my family and friends, home-cooked meals and, of course, flying. The good news is we’ve already started counting down, and yet we’re very eager to continue with these very exciting scientific experiments and living in this unique habitat.”

The project aimed to examine the psychological and physiological effects of prolonged confinement and isolation, similar to those that would be experienced during extended space travel.

It is the second analogue study the UAE has taken part in, after mechanical engineer Saleh Al Ameri completed an eight-month mission in Russia in 2022.

The latest initiative involved 18 health experiments, most of which were designed to help researchers evaluate the crew's physiological, behavioural and psychological responses as they tackled problems as a team while living in a confined space.

Six experiments were by designed and developed by universities in the UAE, including the United Arab Emirates University, Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences and the American University of Sharjah.

The crew used virtual reality headsets to perform most tasks and faced delays while communicating with “mission control” to simulate what astronauts would experience during deep-space journeys.

“Living on board Hera is unique in many aspects, from living in a confined space to isolation to adhering to a very strict work schedule,” Mr Al Romaithi said. “All of these factors give us the opportunity to live and work like astronauts do on the ISS [International Space Station].”

The Hera measures 60.39 square metres. The ground floor includes workspaces, a laboratory, a kitchen and an airlock, while the upper floor has private sleeping quarters for the crew, a bathroom and a flight deck.

The compact living conditions were not be a problem for Mr Al Romaithi, who mentioned in a media briefing last month that his career as a pilot meant he was accustomed to working in confined spaces.

“One thing I’ve learnt is the importance of teamwork,” he said. “My colleagues have been a very valuable source of information and support that I can count on, and by working together we can ensure the successful completion of these exciting scientific studies.”