A jack of all trades and an ace of quite a few, Bader Al Moulah has been able to carve out a road for himself to reach the goals that he wanted to at an early age. He chose engineering at University because it allowed him to continue his path to be an Imagineer at Disney and potentially be an astronaut in the future. A lot of it seemed far and possibly unattainable at times but his time at Disney changed everything.

“Achieving my goal of being an Imagineer really changed a lot with my mentality. It made me realize that with hard work and a little bit of luck, you can reach the goals you have in mind.” Said Bader. His time with Disney enabled him to be around extremely creative people amidst large-scale projects being designed and used while having a very close look at how things work behind the scenes of some of the biggest productions in the world, including Avatar. He was able to directly work with James Cameron’s team at Lightstorm Entertainment to create Pandora, the world of Avatar. Getting eyes on the industry and having the connections required to elevate himself and his goals helped him take a step toward one of his goals: in.visible.inc productions.

Along with his close friend, Ahmad Jamal, Bader has been able to start a Visual Effects and Film Production House in Kuwait specializing in Visual Storytelling, CGI and Animation. With another goal checked off the list, Bader was ready to continue moving forward.

“I don’t see this as different passions exactly. I see it more as tree branches. I made decisions as the tree and wherever these branches take me is where I see myself going.” Said Bader as he began speaking about his journey on one day becoming the first Kuwaiti astronaut to visit space.
His past, his education and upbringing all contributed to this goal. There was still a lot to be done but he was already aware of the magnitude of this mission while at Disney in Orlando and near the Kennedy Space Center. Once he began this journey, he had no idea what was in store for him or how ‘real’ this dream could be but one TV show really changed everything. Airing on Dubai TV, “The Astronauts” had 12 competitors from different nationalities who would compete to become an astronaut. The Kuwaiti architect, Bader, was selected as one of the candidates and was the youngest competitor on the show. Although he didn’t win the competition, he came out with a lot more experience and education.

“This gave me the opportunity to challenge myself and train like a real astronaut does. I didn’t take it as being on a TV show. Chris Hadfield [a Canadian astronaut who has flown to space twice and also served as commander of the International Space Station (ISS)] was there and evaluated my performance, this is something I never imagined could happen to me. He came to us and said that even though this is a TV show, I’m going to take it seriously as if I was doing a normal selection. This was all the motivation I needed and I spent nights studying and researching so many different things so that I could be ready for any challenge. I even technically now know how to fly a helicopter through my research, though I never actually attempted to.” Said Bader.

Part of the process in the show was to travel to Russia and visit the Cosmonaut Training Center where they were able to use suits that were flown in space and retired to be used for training purposes. “This was a great experience and honor. Getting into the suits you wonder if you’ll be claustrophobic but you manage your way through it” he added.
Bader has always known that he wants to represent the country and find ways for Kuwait to be part of the journey to Space. He aims to show the younger generation that this is something that they can truly pursue and he does hope that Kuwait can continue moving forward and become a hub in the Gulf for space exploration.

“I truly believe that Kuwait has so much potential. On an individual level, there is so much that can be done. We can definitely be operating on an international scale in terms of science and space exploration and I do see a huge opportunity for the country to have a space industry. It has so many benefits for the country that’s involved in it. Space exploration has resulted in a lot of technological advancement for us on Earth and it would make people recognize us as being involved in science and technology which would assist in making us succeed in so many other areas.” Said Bader.
His passion very visibly elevates when talking about Kuwait’s future in space exploration because not only does he think it’s a great idea for the country to advance in the GCC, but also he believes that it’s very possible.

“There is a simple plan in terms of getting this started. First, we need a space agency. Second, we need the government to support that agency. Third, we need to gather everyone who’s passionate and interested to work in this facility. They won’t know a lot at this point about the required steps, but that’s okay. We then hire a team from South Korea for example, to do three missions with us. First mission, they will do it and we watch. Second, we do the mission together. Third, we do the mission and they watch. After that, we are ready to move forward without their assistance. That is how the UAE did it with satellites. We are in another golden age of space. There was the Apollo age, then there was the shuttle generation. Now, we’re back and it’s the commercial space industry which mixes the private and public sectors being involved. So it’s a massive opportunity.” Added Bader.

There is one thing that many people do not consider when they take on a big personal project like becoming an astronaut. What if you never go into space? Bader already considered that before making his decision final. “If I never get to be an astronaut, there are personal and non-personal benefits to that. Personally, everything that I am learning along the way is interesting and engaging and making me a better and more capable person. This is why I wanted to become an astronaut in the first place. From a non-personal side, everything I’m doing is helping to create a foundation for the next generation. So if I don’t get to do it, it’s okay. As long as you know that the day you leave it, there is progress for someone else to come pick it up. I have seen so much progress, I wouldn’t be this motivated to continue if I didn’t.”

Bader has a clear goal in his head and hopes that he can be selected within the next five years. He’s ready. Being ‘selected’ would mean that he was chosen to be part of the team that trains for two years and graduates to become astronauts before being chosen for a specific mission, which requires another couple years of training. There is still a lot to be done but the journey there is something Bader is enjoying and learning so much through every part of it.

“If you have an idea and someone tells you that this isn’t something we have here, then you know it’s a good idea. Don’t let lack of availability deter you from your passions. If it hasn’t been established yet, then take a close look because you could be the one who lays those foundations” concluded Bader.

UP CLOSE & PERSONAL QUESTIONNAIRE

What do you most value about your friends?
Showing up. People who are there when you need them and are there for you no matter what. Life is made up of moments and people so spending the right moments with the right people is really valuable to me.

Which living person do you most admire?
My father. His knowledge despite his upbringing and his capacity for growth and change has been something I always looked up to.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Having a sense of purpose is essential. Having that and surrounding yourself with close friends and someone you love to spend your life with is essential as well to me.

What is your most treasured possession?
I have two. My Imagineering helmet with my name on it and a letter of recommendation from Chris Hadfield to become an astronaut.

What is your greatest fear?
Developing Alzheimer’s and losing my memory.

What is your most marked characteristic?
If you know me well, you would see it’s how nerdy I am and how much I love science. If not, it would be my determination.

Which talent would you most like to have?
To sing.

What is one trait that you are most grateful for?
That I am optimistic and my ability to forgive.

What is the human trait you most dislike about others?
Hypocrisy.

What is it that you most dislike?
How people spend so much time hating other things when you can use that energy towards positive changes in your life.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Either “Yup” or “Yooo!” when I’m excited about something. I also tend to ask my friends “Anyone want anything from Elevation?” too often!

What is your favorite words to live by?
“Every breath you take is a step closer to death.” I know that sounds morbid, but I take it in a positive way because it gives your life meaning and makes you consider what to spend your energy on.

Where would you most like to live?
New Zealand or Japan.
If you could have any job, what would it be?I would probably go into the medical field and be a doctor.

What do you hope for the future?
With Social Media and technology, the world is becoming smaller. We are learning about different cultures so I hope with that, there is less animosity between people. I also hope that we can seriously address the problems with climate change because it’s only getting worse.

Be sure to follow Bader and his updates on Instagram @the.travelling.architect. You can also follow his VFX and Film company @in.visible.inc as well as his Space Research and Exploration Company @ignition.kwt.