(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Unlike most women her age, Heyam Alblooshi, a mechanical engineering graduate from Petroleum Institute (PI) Abu Dhabi, grew up with an affinity towards cars and other machines.
So, it was only natural for her to be accepted as an engineering intern to the US space research agency Nasa.
Heyam left for the Silicon Valley's Nasa Ames Research Centre on February 16 and returned to the UAE on June 3. "Needless to say, I am still jet lagged," laughs Heyam.
She was selected by the Arab Youth Venture Foundation (AYVF) and approved by Nasa for one of the three spots for the Spring 2012 Nasa programme.
During her four-month stint, she conducted specific activities in the design, construction and testing of advanced spacecraft water recycling in order to assure precious resource sustainability in space.
Heyam said that she would like to use her talents as a mechanical engineer to make a world a 'greener place'.
"There are certain opportunities that life throws at you and you need to grab it with all of what you have. This is what I had in mind when I gave my application to the AYVF."
Born on April 29, 1988, Heyam grew up among five brothers.
"I was a tomboy, I grew up playing and fighting with them. When my brothers found that I would be interning at Nasa, they got very jealous. One of them teased me saying things like Nasa has found a new monkey to send to space. But jokes apart, I have been blessed with so many wonderful things and my family is extremely supportive of what I do," she said.
"One of the best things about the UAE is that the people here are very supportive of whatever you want to do."
Heyam's internship concerned the Green Building Water Treatment Control Systems research, where she conducted specific activities involved in the design, construction and testing of advanced spacecraft water recycling technologies, for instance, design of mechanical systems, fabrication and assembly, pressure safety documentation, and controller performance optimisation. Spacecraft water recycling addresses the need to supply drinking water to astronauts in flight by recycling human wastewater into drinking water.
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