Can Muslim women become astronauts and go to space?

Question

According to Islamic teachings, is it permissible for Muslim women to pursue a career as astronauts and participate in space exploration missions while observing hijab like Nora AlMatrooshi? Are there any religious limitations that should be taken into account regarding the role of women in space travel, and what guidance does Islam provide on this matter? The same kind of security measures is taken there whether she is a male or female.

In a hadith our prophet Pbuh said:

If you live long enough, you will see a young woman traveling from Al-Hirah to circumambulate the Kaaba, fearing no one but Allah

Sahih Al-Bukhari

Also, Egypt's Dar Al-Iftaa says:

The opinion appropriate for fatwa at present is that it is permissible and there is no objection to a woman traveling alone by the various safe routes and means of travel via their venues such as airports, harbors, and the like. This applies whether she is traveling for something obligatory, recommended, or permissible.

English Fatwa Number: 6128

So, can a Muslim woman pursue a career as an astronaut and go to space? Will this be halal?

Answer 1

As you've stated in your question this topic has many aspecty which should be checked:

• The aspect of traveling for a (Musim) woman:
  • is it prohibited for a woman to travel alone due to safety reasons (only)?
  • What if safety is secured by some means?
  • What kind of means are lawful?
  • If the prohibition for traveling alone for women is not based on safety reasons what are the reasons?...
• The aspect of working for a (Muslim) woman:
  • Can a woman work in any field?
  • Can a woman only work in a field if no Muslim man is able to do so? ...
• Assuming that woman can work as an astronaut in case of necessity:
  • Is there really a benefit for Muslims to have experts in this field? ...

To answer this question from the perspective of today and now I'd rather say the answer is no for the reasons quoted in the answer of @Greenix_3, however one must be aware that an astronaut doesn't necessarily need to stay more 3 days in space, what would the answer be if the duration of stay is shorter?
However, we have many conditions which, taken together, can lead to a negative answer: for example, work is permissible for a woman only if her financial support is necessary and her mahram gives his consent. Second, we have the travel problem. Third, it is unclear whether Muslims need an astronaut at all.

But in general and in the future:
From my perspective just saying that a woman is prohibited to travel for 3 days due to a hadith isn't answering the question at all without checking all these conditions and checking the hadith interpretation of this hadith vs. the hadith from sahih al-Bukhari and also this in the context of secrurity of travel).
One simple counterexample for the main argument in the answer I've referred to above is the secure companionship الرفقة المأمونة which allows a woman to travel alone for longer time for hajj and visiting sick relatives (see fatwa islamweb # 445831 in Arabic) for example which is a view held by Malikis, Shafi'is and also accepted by some salafi scholars (see also How do unmarried women with no mahram go on a pilgrimage to Mecca?).

Answer 2

It is widely acknowledged within Islamic jurisprudence that it is generally forbidden for a woman to embark on a journey lasting more than three days without the presence of her husband or a mahram, in accordance with authentic narrations. This prohibition is rooted in the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah, and serves to safeguard the moral and social welfare of women as well as to uphold Islamic values and principles.

Narrated Ibn `Umar: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A woman should not travel for more than three days except with a Mahram." (2.43, Hadith number 1087, Tawq ul Najah edition)

Therefore, it is generally impermissible for a woman to be a astronaut and go to space.