• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • TV/Radio Deals
  • Film partnerships
  • New appointments
  • Production
  • TV Channels
Aiming for the stars

Aiming for the stars

May 16, 2022
Thales Alenia Space amends Cristal contract with Airbus

Thales Alenia Space amends Cristal contract with Airbus

June 27, 2022
Fremantle, ITV Studios, BBC Studios to skip MIPCOM 2020 in October

Mipcom Cannes confirmes 200+ exhibitors

June 27, 2022
Isar Aerospace signs launch contract with D-Orbit

Isar Aerospace signs launch contract with D-Orbit

June 27, 2022
SES-22 satellite to launch on June 29

SES-22 satellite to launch on June 29

June 27, 2022
JBM Studio launches production hub in Al Quoz

JBM Studio launches production hub in Al Quoz

June 27, 2022
Lebanese film ‘Farah’ wins at Lebanese Independent Film Festival

Lebanese film ‘Farah’ wins at Lebanese Independent Film Festival

June 27, 2022
Blackmagic Design launches new Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2

Blackmagic Design launches new Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2

June 27, 2022
Virtual vernacular: Terminology in virtual production – Part 2

Virtual vernacular: Terminology in virtual production – Part 2

June 27, 2022
Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards extends deadline for submission

Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards extends deadline for submission

June 27, 2022
Sharjah Broadcasting Authority wins five awards at Gulf Radio and Television Festival

Sharjah Broadcasting Authority wins five awards at Gulf Radio and Television Festival

June 26, 2022
What we can learn from Korean dramas

What we can learn from Korean dramas

June 26, 2022
SRMG and Anghami host MENA Night at Cannes Lions

SRMG and Anghami host MENA Night at Cannes Lions

June 25, 2022
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Magazine Archive
  • Directory
  • Contact
Monday, June 27, 2022
BroadcastPro ME
  • News
    • All
    • Podcasting
    • Cinema Theatres
    • Esports
    • TV/Radio Deals
    • Film partnerships
    • New appointments
    • Production
    • Mergers/Acquisitions
    • Satellite/Comms
    • AV
    • OTT/Video Streaming
    • International News
    • Analyst Reports
    • Satellite/Broadcasting
    Thales Alenia Space amends Cristal contract with Airbus

    Thales Alenia Space amends Cristal contract with Airbus

    Fremantle, ITV Studios, BBC Studios to skip MIPCOM 2020 in October

    Mipcom Cannes confirmes 200+ exhibitors

    Isar Aerospace signs launch contract with D-Orbit

    Isar Aerospace signs launch contract with D-Orbit

    SES-22 satellite to launch on June 29

    SES-22 satellite to launch on June 29

    JBM Studio launches production hub in Al Quoz

    JBM Studio launches production hub in Al Quoz

    Lebanese film ‘Farah’ wins at Lebanese Independent Film Festival

    Lebanese film ‘Farah’ wins at Lebanese Independent Film Festival

    Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards extends deadline for submission

    Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards extends deadline for submission

    Sharjah Broadcasting Authority wins five awards at Gulf Radio and Television Festival

    Sharjah Broadcasting Authority wins five awards at Gulf Radio and Television Festival

    SRMG and Anghami host MENA Night at Cannes Lions

    SRMG and Anghami host MENA Night at Cannes Lions

    Globalstar launches platform for satellite asset tracking

    Globalstar launches platform for satellite asset tracking

    Trending Tags

    • broadcast
    • MENA broadcast
    • ConnecTech2019
  • Tech Features
    • All
    • CASE STUDIES
    • Virtual Production Series
    • REVIEWS
    • TV/Radio Deals
    • New Media
    Virtual vernacular: Terminology in virtual production – Part 2

    Virtual vernacular: Terminology in virtual production – Part 2

    The future of subtitling and captioning

    The future of subtitling and captioning

    Redefining cloud for broadcast

    Redefining cloud for broadcast

    beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

    beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

    Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

    Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

    Why converged media consumption requires a converged security solution

    Why converged media consumption requires a converged security solution

    Unlocking the 5G opportunity in video services

    Unlocking the 5G opportunity in video services

    Exploring the power of AI

    Exploring the power of AI

    Disaster recovery in the cloud

    Disaster recovery in the cloud

    There is hope, opportunity, optimism with the cloud

    There is hope, opportunity, optimism with the cloud

    Trending Tags

    • Videos
      Protecting your content – Devising a multi-pronged strategy

      Protecting your content – Devising a multi-pronged strategy

      Gearing up for a FAST audience

      Gearing up for a FAST audience

      Planning Your Hybrid Cloud Playout Journey

      Planning Your Hybrid Cloud Playout Journey

      Qvest on “The cutting edge of Cloud Editing”

      Qvest on “The cutting edge of Cloud Editing”

      Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

      Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

      Rami Moussawi, Product Manager at ST Engineering iDirect speaks about SKYFlow

      Rami Moussawi, Product Manager at ST Engineering iDirect speaks about SKYFlow

      ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

      ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

      CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

      CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

      Taking streaming to the next level

      Taking streaming to the next level

    • Opinion
      What we can learn from Korean dramas

      What we can learn from Korean dramas

      Optimising video players for live sports

      Optimising video players for live sports

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Identifying good stories and investing in content is the need of the hour

      Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

      Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Sports brings more subs to platforms

      How to stand out in a content-saturated market

      How to stand out in a content-saturated market

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Saudi Arabia’s makeover

      Responding to content consumption trends and monetising demand

      Responding to content consumption trends and monetising demand

      A new wave of Saudi filmmakers

      A new wave of Saudi filmmakers

      New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

      Is NFTs the next big thing for creators?

    • Interviews
      • All
      • Lounge
      Akhbar Al Aan on launch of 3eesh Al Aan Café

      Akhbar Al Aan on launch of 3eesh Al Aan Café

      Staying on schedule

      Staying on schedule

      Great expectations at CABSAT 2021

      Setting the stage for CABSAT 2022

      Taking the OTT bull by its horns

      Taking the OTT bull by its horns

      The path to digital transformation

      The path to digital transformation

      The show must go on

      The show must go on

      BeIN at the top of its game

      BeIN at the top of its game

      Giving us the full Viu

      Giving us the full Viu

      Picture Perfect

      Picture Perfect

      Ambassadors of Arabic content

      Ambassadors of Arabic content

    • Products
    • Magazine Archive
      • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
      • PRO Directory
    • Events
      • Upcoming Events
      • News from Events
      BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2022

      BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2022

      BroadcastAsia 2022

      BroadcastAsia 2022

      CABSAT 2022

      CABSAT 2022

      NABSHOW 2022

      NABSHOW 2022

      Future of Sports Broadcasting Summit 2022

      Future of Sports Broadcasting Summit 2022

    No Result
    View All Result
    BroadcastPro ME
    • News
      • All
      • Podcasting
      • Cinema Theatres
      • Esports
      • TV/Radio Deals
      • Film partnerships
      • New appointments
      • Production
      • Mergers/Acquisitions
      • Satellite/Comms
      • AV
      • OTT/Video Streaming
      • International News
      • Analyst Reports
      • Satellite/Broadcasting
      Thales Alenia Space amends Cristal contract with Airbus

      Thales Alenia Space amends Cristal contract with Airbus

      Fremantle, ITV Studios, BBC Studios to skip MIPCOM 2020 in October

      Mipcom Cannes confirmes 200+ exhibitors

      Isar Aerospace signs launch contract with D-Orbit

      Isar Aerospace signs launch contract with D-Orbit

      SES-22 satellite to launch on June 29

      SES-22 satellite to launch on June 29

      JBM Studio launches production hub in Al Quoz

      JBM Studio launches production hub in Al Quoz

      Lebanese film ‘Farah’ wins at Lebanese Independent Film Festival

      Lebanese film ‘Farah’ wins at Lebanese Independent Film Festival

      Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards extends deadline for submission

      Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards extends deadline for submission

      Sharjah Broadcasting Authority wins five awards at Gulf Radio and Television Festival

      Sharjah Broadcasting Authority wins five awards at Gulf Radio and Television Festival

      SRMG and Anghami host MENA Night at Cannes Lions

      SRMG and Anghami host MENA Night at Cannes Lions

      Globalstar launches platform for satellite asset tracking

      Globalstar launches platform for satellite asset tracking

      Trending Tags

      • broadcast
      • MENA broadcast
      • ConnecTech2019
    • Tech Features
      • All
      • CASE STUDIES
      • Virtual Production Series
      • REVIEWS
      • TV/Radio Deals
      • New Media
      Virtual vernacular: Terminology in virtual production – Part 2

      Virtual vernacular: Terminology in virtual production – Part 2

      The future of subtitling and captioning

      The future of subtitling and captioning

      Redefining cloud for broadcast

      Redefining cloud for broadcast

      beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

      beIN Media Group welcomes students as part of French media company initiative

      Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

      Virtual production: A field guide to the future of filmmaking

      Why converged media consumption requires a converged security solution

      Why converged media consumption requires a converged security solution

      Unlocking the 5G opportunity in video services

      Unlocking the 5G opportunity in video services

      Exploring the power of AI

      Exploring the power of AI

      Disaster recovery in the cloud

      Disaster recovery in the cloud

      There is hope, opportunity, optimism with the cloud

      There is hope, opportunity, optimism with the cloud

      Trending Tags

      • Videos
        Protecting your content – Devising a multi-pronged strategy

        Protecting your content – Devising a multi-pronged strategy

        Gearing up for a FAST audience

        Gearing up for a FAST audience

        Planning Your Hybrid Cloud Playout Journey

        Planning Your Hybrid Cloud Playout Journey

        Qvest on “The cutting edge of Cloud Editing”

        Qvest on “The cutting edge of Cloud Editing”

        Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

        Said Bacho on Editshare’s Middle East plans

        Rami Moussawi, Product Manager at ST Engineering iDirect speaks about SKYFlow

        Rami Moussawi, Product Manager at ST Engineering iDirect speaks about SKYFlow

        ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

        ASBU BroadcastPro ME Awards Footage

        CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

        CEO Panel – Thriving in the New World Order

        Taking streaming to the next level

        Taking streaming to the next level

      • Opinion
        What we can learn from Korean dramas

        What we can learn from Korean dramas

        Optimising video players for live sports

        Optimising video players for live sports

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Identifying good stories and investing in content is the need of the hour

        Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

        Edging closer to 5G content delivery in the cloud

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Sports brings more subs to platforms

        How to stand out in a content-saturated market

        How to stand out in a content-saturated market

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Saudi Arabia’s makeover

        Responding to content consumption trends and monetising demand

        Responding to content consumption trends and monetising demand

        A new wave of Saudi filmmakers

        A new wave of Saudi filmmakers

        New normal inspires fresh storylines and alternative filming strategies

        Is NFTs the next big thing for creators?

      • Interviews
        • All
        • Lounge
        Akhbar Al Aan on launch of 3eesh Al Aan Café

        Akhbar Al Aan on launch of 3eesh Al Aan Café

        Staying on schedule

        Staying on schedule

        Great expectations at CABSAT 2021

        Setting the stage for CABSAT 2022

        Taking the OTT bull by its horns

        Taking the OTT bull by its horns

        The path to digital transformation

        The path to digital transformation

        The show must go on

        The show must go on

        BeIN at the top of its game

        BeIN at the top of its game

        Giving us the full Viu

        Giving us the full Viu

        Picture Perfect

        Picture Perfect

        Ambassadors of Arabic content

        Ambassadors of Arabic content

      • Products
      • Magazine Archive
        • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
        • PRO Directory
      • Events
        • Upcoming Events
        • News from Events
        BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2022

        BroadcastPro Tech Summit 2022

        BroadcastAsia 2022

        BroadcastAsia 2022

        CABSAT 2022

        CABSAT 2022

        NABSHOW 2022

        NABSHOW 2022

        Future of Sports Broadcasting Summit 2022

        Future of Sports Broadcasting Summit 2022

      No Result
      View All Result
      BroadcastPro ME
      No Result
      View All Result
      Home News Satellite/Comms

      Aiming for the stars

      Vijaya Cherian by Vijaya Cherian
      May 16, 2022
      in Satellite/Comms
      ShareTweetPostEmail

      Salem Humaid Al Marri, at the helm of some of the UAE’s satellite projects from conception, recently assumed the mantle of Director General at Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. In conversation with Vijaya Cherian, he gives us a flavour of what’s cooking in the MBRSC lab these days and his vision for the organisation.

      How did you come to be involved in space projects in the first place?

      I was working as a telecommunications engineer and there was an opportunity to join in a project to develop a satellite for Dubai government, and that excited me. So I applied and was one of the first engineers to be selected. This was basically to join DubaiSat-1 and build that project. This was before the establishment of the centre (MBRSC). Back then, in 2005, it was called the Emirates Institute for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST). We did the initial study and then there was a decree which led to the establishment of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. We started work on DubaiSat-1. What attracted me to this was that we were looking at knowledge transfer. It was a joint development and we were trying to develop these technologies in the UAE. As we went into 2006, I was the project manager for DubaiSat-1.

      Where did you get your ideas from when you started with those projects?

      We started by looking for established industry partners. We were very focused on the element of knowledge transfer, and we looked at countries that had taken a similar approach. South Korea was one of them. They did knowledge transfer with the UK. Then we looked at Surrey Space Technologies (STL) and some companies in Europe. They proposed projects they would build and where we would participate in the knowledge transfer programme, but we eventually chose South Korea because they learned from a knowledge transfer programme and then started building satellites on their own. So that means they had the capability to take this knowledge and use it efficiently.

      What are your short-term and long-term goals as chief at MBRSC?

      Short-term is to maintain a healthy flow of projects, as MBRSC is predominantly an engineering entity. Our focus is on engineering projects that are space-related, so a steady flow of engineering projects is one of my top priorities. Growing and developing existing projects while also initiating new and exciting projects is the way forward for us.

      Long-term, we are looking at the UAE leadership’s objectives. The exploration of the moon and Mars are part of that, and how we can potentially contribute on a more global level. We are on course with a number of unique engineering and scientific projects at MBRSC to fulfil those goals.

      What projects are you cooking in the MBRSC kitchen right now, and what stages are they at?

      We are cooking quite a few projects, but many of them are under wraps. But we are looking at our next Earth observation satellites, what types of satellites we want to build and what our next exploration missions are. As engineers, that’s what excites us at MBRSC. We come up with initiatives, propose them to our board and then if they are approved at the government level, they are announced. So that’s just to give you a flavour, though we can’t divulge specifics.

      HE Salem Al Marri, flanked by Emirati astronauts Hazaa Al Mansouri (r) and Sultan Al Neyadi (l), and MBRSC team members

      What’s the progress on the Rashid Rover?

      The Rashid Rover will be the first object from the UAE to land on the surface of another celestial body. It’s the first time we have gone into robotics by building a robotic rover. It will land on the moon and do exploration there, and it’s fully developed in the UAE. This is why it’s significant for us. We plan hopefully to launch this at the end of this year.

      We also have the MBZ satellite, which is the follow-on satellite to KhalifaSat. This is a very high-resolution imaging satellite, remote sensing, and is about 800kg. So it’s one of our largest ever satellites built, designed and developed in the UAE and manufactured with UAE manufacturers, such as Strata and others. Strata are airplane parts manufacturers in Al Ain; they are now developing mechanical structures for us. We plan to launch that at the end of next year.

      We also have other pipelines that we’re working on, which is the training of our astronauts and looking at future human space flights for astronauts.

      What major challenges is the space industry facing, and how do you hope to address them?

      Space sustainability is a big one. The sustainable use of our orbit around Earth and how we can continue using that orbit safely is important. This is a big challenge for everybody today regionally and internationally. The other one is sustained investment in space, and that’s a challenge for governments. Out here, we are continuously looking at doing our projects sustainably.

      Is space debris a project you are looking to work on?

      As an engineering facility, MBRSC is very focused on engineering projects. While we are not actively working on projects to remove space debris, we are careful to ensure our projects do not add to the space debris.

      How many people currently work at MBRSC, and what percentage of those are women?

      We have around 200 people and a little under 50% of them are women.

      What about the astronaut programme?

      We got close to 4,000 applications for the first phase and about 4,300 for the second phase. We selected four astronauts – three men, one female. They are all currently training in the United States. Nora AlMatrooshi and Mohammad AlMulla are the two new candidates who have joined a batch with NASA astronauts and are training jointly with them. The other two are training on other elements related to ISS operations. We’re currently working on finishing their training and then securing the next flights for our astronauts.

      What are the criteria for selection?

      We don’t really discuss astronaut criteria with anybody, but we choose the most suitable astronaut – there’s obviously seniority, training readiness, capabilities, compatibility with the rest of the crew. There are many elements that come into choosing who is going to fly.

      What is unique about the UAE space ecosystem?

      The ecosystem here allows you to innovate. Sometimes we get to select projects that are exciting and unique. Sending a rover to the moon or sending humans to space excites us. We’re proud and humbled that we are able to contribute to that whole process.

      Are you able to share how much has been invested in these space projects?

      Emirates Mars Mission was around $200m, and that is public information. At MBRSC, we try to develop innovative missions in a cost-effective manner. We don’t have very huge budgets, but we have big minds that are able to achieve big objectives in a very cost-effective manner, because we’re able to develop these technologies on our own. We are not buying these technologies. We are not sourcing them from outside. We are developing them, which then inherently reduces some of our costs. The majority of our costs would be our staff. So this is how we are able to achieve big objectives in a cost-effective manner with very efficient budget utilisation.

      Could you tell us a bit about your new payload initiative?

      Yes, it’s called PHI – Payload Hosting Initiative. It is a 12U satellite. We intend to launch one every year. This satellite has multiple purposes. One is to test new payloads, so we provide space for startup companies in the UAE and entities that want to launch a payload into space but don’t have the capability to do that or it is too costly for them. We then launch it for them. We’ve worked with two startup companies here in the UAE to launch their payload next year. We’ve also cooperated with the UN on this, so they provide access to space to developing space nations. Nations in Africa and Asia that don’t have the capability to launch into space but have great ideas will be considered for this. Students sometimes have great ideas; in that case, they build the payloads and we can launch them into space. We will integrate them into our satellite and launch them. This will happen at the end of this year or the beginning of next year. This is in cooperation with the UN.

      Tags: MBZ satelliteMarsISS operationsEmirates Mars MissionNASA astronautsDubaisat-1Al AinRashid roverNora AlMatrooshiPayload Hosting Initiativesalem humaid al marriMohammad AlMullaMBRSCSurrey Space TechnologiesKhalifaSat

      Related Posts

      President of UAE reviews details of Emirates Lunar Mission

      President of UAE reviews details of Emirates Lunar Mission

      June 15, 2022
      UAE’s Hope probe discovers mysterious martian aurora

      UAE’s Hope probe discovers mysterious martian aurora

      April 27, 2022
      UAE-made MBZ-SAT to launch in late 2023

      UAE-made MBZ-SAT to launch in late 2023

      April 24, 2022
      NASA and UAE Mars missions team up on science data analysis

      NASA and UAE Mars missions team up on science data analysis

      April 13, 2022
      Hope Probe shares new data on Martian atmosphere

      Hope Probe shares new data on Martian atmosphere

      April 8, 2022
      MBRSC concludes its participation in World Government Summit

      MBRSC concludes its participation in World Government Summit

      April 1, 2022

      Related News

      First US manned space flight launches successfully

      First US manned space flight launches successfully

      May 31, 2020
      More Related News

      Popular Stories

      • Abu Dhabi Media appoints StarzPlay as exclusive partner for advertising sales

        Abu Dhabi Media appoints StarzPlay as exclusive partner for advertising sales

        708 shares
        Share 283 Tweet 177
      • AD Film Commission organises tour of Abu Dhabi’s key production locations for Indian filmmakers

        671 shares
        Share 268 Tweet 168
      • Tubi signs exclusive multi-year content deal with Lionsgate

        617 shares
        Share 247 Tweet 154
      • Twitter’s #FeminineArabic bags Silver Lion at Cannes Lions 2022

        615 shares
        Share 246 Tweet 154
      • MBC Group’s Al Arabia signs advertising deal with Elan for FIFA World Cup 2022

        611 shares
        Share 244 Tweet 153

      BroadcastPro ME

      • About
      • Advertise
      • Subscribe
      • Magazine Archive
      • Directory
      • Contact
      • Privacy

      Follow us on Social Media

      No Result
      View All Result
      • News
      • Tech Features
      • Videos
      • Opinion
      • Interviews
      • Products
      • Magazine Archive
        • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
        • PRO Directory
      • Events

      Login to your account below

      Forgotten Password?

      Fill the forms bellow to register

      All fields are required. Log In

      Retrieve your password

      Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

      Log In
      Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com