Nasa and UAE in talks to send Emirati astronauts to the Moon

Nasa and the UAE's Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre are in talks to approve Emirati astronauts for flights to the Moon, the chief of the US space agency said, Report informs, citing The National.

The Artemis program by Nasa hopes to set up a base on the Moon this decade, with only American and Canadian astronauts assigned to flights so far.

During a media event on Wednesday over the UAE's role in the landmark project, Nasa administrator Bill Nelson said there were discussions between the two organizations.

"Are there talks going on? The answer is yes. We're not ready to make an announcement. I will leave that to the space center here," Mr. Nelson said in response to a question from The National.

As part of the Artemis program, Nasa plans to launch the Lunar Gateway – a small station in lunar orbit that would host astronauts before they descend to the Moon's surface.