Saudi Student Attends Exclusive Space Training Program

At 22 years old, Abdullah H. Alghamdi, a Saudi national and Bachelor of Science candidate majoring in Aerospace Engineering at Iowa State University, had the opportunity of a lifetime this past summer. As one of six international students chosen to participate in Lockheed Martin’s Space Fundamentals Training Program, Abdullah embarked on an inspiring journey to understand space.
Through the program, promising international students from US-based colleges are selected by their nation’s space and cultural ministries and invited to step foot into Lockheed Martin’s facilities for a comprehensive introduction to the space industry.
This year’s program featured undergraduate students from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Mexico. Previous participants have gone on to pursue successful careers in the space industry. 2015 program graduate Faisal Baawad now works on attitude determination and control systems aboard satellites at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.
Alghamdi, who grew up inspired by aerospace, was an ideal fit for the program. “I love how airplanes fly and I’m obsessed with the physics behind spacecraft motion,” he said. “The most important lesson that I learned from the program is that space exploration is a human endeavor, which is not exclusive to any specific nation, but rather open to all nations. My experience definitely motivated me to pursue a career in the space industry once I return home to Saudi Arabia.”
The program kicked off with an introduction to a virtual platform, where students remotely gained knowledge about space through lectures, videos, and online resources. Students were also encouraged to post questions on an online discussion board, gaining valuable insight about space and orbital mechanics from engineering experts at Lockheed Martin.
Alghamdi then traveled to Colorado, where he toured the Waterton Canyon and Deer Creek facilities, the headquarters for Lockheed Martin Space Systems. He was able to speak with civil and commercial space experts, as well as industry professionals leading the design and manufacturing of the Arabsat satellite, set to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in November 2017.
“I participated in real space activities, visited Lockheed Martin’s Collaborative Human Immersion Lab (CHIL), and explored the space industry in Denver, which has more than 400 companies. I was honored to meet with Astronaut Bruce Mccandless, who performed the first space walk with a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) in space, and Jim Crocker, a former NASA engineer who proposed a successful repair plan for the Hubble Space Telescope.”
After concluding the immersion program in Colorado, participants traveled to Washington D.C., where they presented key learnings to Lockheed Martin employees and representatives of the UAE Space Agency and the Agencia Espacial Mexicana, and the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (SACM). Participants also met with members of the National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce.
“While in Washington D.C., I also received the opportunity to visit the Saudi Arabia Embassy and meet with Prince Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki Al Saud, the Saudi Arabia Ambassador to the US. He was extremely welcoming and supportive, and encouraged me to continue working hard so that after graduation, I will be able to contribute to the advancement of Saudi Arabia’s economy.”
“Giving students hands-on experiences in the space industry is the best way to excite them about future careers in the field. Working with Lockheed Martin has allowed us to give our emerging talent a taste of what their future could be if they pursue jobs in space,” said Nahlah Al-Jubeir, director of the Center for Career Development at the SACM.
Through programs and investments such as the Space Fundamentals Training Program and the Prince Mohammed bin Salman School of Administration and Entrepreneurship, an elite educational institution at the King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), Lockheed Martin is directly partnering with the Kingdom to accelerate Vision 2030, supporting the development of its human capital and collaboratively building national expertise in the fields of aerospace, advanced technologies, and entrepreneurship.
“It was a rich and informative experience that complemented my educational background,” said Alghamdi. “I have so much gratitude for the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (SACM) and Lockheed Martin for supporting us during the program and offering such a great opportunity to international students. I am certain that the exposure and experience that I gained through the program will support my career growth.”
Commenting on the program, Alan Chinoda, Chief Executive for Lockheed Martin in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said, “We are committed to partnering with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to develop key capabilities and help achieve Vision 2030, by empowering the next generation of space explorers. This program reflects our support of the Kingdom’s most valuable resource – its people. We are extremely proud of this year’s participants and look forward to seeing students such as Mr. Alghamdi leading the Kingdom’s space sector.”