• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • TV/Radio Deals
  • Film partnerships
  • New appointments
  • Production
  • TV Channels
UAE’s space ambitions : Building a sustainable future

UAE’s space ambitions : Building a sustainable future

September 6, 2018
Eutelsat announces $1.56bn capital increase

Eutelsat announces $1.56bn capital increase

June 21, 2025
Ad 1 Ad 3
Palestine Film Institute to present three documentaries at Sheffield DocFest

Palestine Film Institute to present three documentaries at Sheffield DocFest

June 21, 2025
Conviva expands MENA presence with strategic hire

Conviva expands MENA presence with strategic hire

June 21, 2025
Space42 introduces Thuraya Mobile Broadband Hotspot

Space42 introduces Thuraya Mobile Broadband Hotspot

June 20, 2025
Insys and To-Do Media bring Arabic content to mobile devices

CJ ENM partners with Shahid to launch premium Korean dramas in MENA

June 20, 2025
Orange partners with Huawei to deploy 5G in Egypt

Orange partners with Huawei to deploy 5G in Egypt

June 20, 2025
Sharjah Broadcasting Authority and Chinese media delegation explore strategic collaboration

Sharjah Broadcasting Authority and Chinese media delegation explore strategic collaboration

June 20, 2025
Amman Film Industry Days selects 18 projects for 2025 Pitching Platforms

Amman Film Industry Days selects 18 projects for 2025 Pitching Platforms

June 20, 2025
Korean Film Festival returns to UAE for ninth edition

Korean Film Festival returns to UAE for ninth edition

June 20, 2025
Al-Manasa signs content exchange deal with Yango Play

Al-Manasa signs content exchange deal with Yango Play

June 20, 2025
ST Engineering iDirect and solutions by stc to advance satcom services in KSA

ST Engineering iDirect and solutions by stc to advance satcom services in KSA

June 19, 2025
Disney’s live-action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ tops MENA box office in 2025

Disney’s live-action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ tops MENA box office in 2025

June 19, 2025
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Magazine Archive
  • Directory
  • Contact
Saturday, June 21, 2025
BroadcastPro ME
  • News
    • All
    • Analyst Reports
    • AV
    • Cinema Theatres
    • Esports
    • Film partnerships
    • International News
    • Mergers/Acquisitions
    • New appointments
    • OTT/Video Streaming
    • Podcasting
    • Production
    • Satellite/Broadcasting
    • Satellite/Comms
    • TV/Radio Deals
    Eutelsat announces $1.56bn capital increase

    Eutelsat announces $1.56bn capital increase

    Palestine Film Institute to present three documentaries at Sheffield DocFest

    Palestine Film Institute to present three documentaries at Sheffield DocFest

    Conviva expands MENA presence with strategic hire

    Conviva expands MENA presence with strategic hire

    Space42 introduces Thuraya Mobile Broadband Hotspot

    Space42 introduces Thuraya Mobile Broadband Hotspot

    Insys and To-Do Media bring Arabic content to mobile devices

    CJ ENM partners with Shahid to launch premium Korean dramas in MENA

    Orange partners with Huawei to deploy 5G in Egypt

    Orange partners with Huawei to deploy 5G in Egypt

    Sharjah Broadcasting Authority and Chinese media delegation explore strategic collaboration

    Sharjah Broadcasting Authority and Chinese media delegation explore strategic collaboration

    Amman Film Industry Days selects 18 projects for 2025 Pitching Platforms

    Amman Film Industry Days selects 18 projects for 2025 Pitching Platforms

    Korean Film Festival returns to UAE for ninth edition

    Korean Film Festival returns to UAE for ninth edition

    Al-Manasa signs content exchange deal with Yango Play

    Al-Manasa signs content exchange deal with Yango Play

    Trending Tags

    • broadcast
    • MENA broadcast
    • ConnecTech2019
  • Tech Features
    • All
    • CASE STUDIES
    • New Media
    • REVIEWS
    • TV/Radio Deals
    • Updates from FOMEX
    • Virtual Production Series
    Playing to win

    Playing to win

    The expanding role of AI in broadcast

    The expanding role of AI in broadcast

    The power of podcasts and audio streaming in MENA

    The power of podcasts and audio streaming in MENA

    Tech strategies for an evolving modern MENA media ecosystem

    Tech strategies for an evolving modern MENA media ecosystem

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part IV

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part III

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

    SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

    Transforming the entertainment experience with tech

    Transforming the entertainment experience with tech

    Media leaders embrace digital transformation

    Media leaders embrace digital transformation

    Trending Tags

    • Videos
      FOR-A’s award-winning HVS-Q12: A quantum leap in switcher design

      FOR-A’s award-winning HVS-Q12: A quantum leap in switcher design

      Ignacio Gonzalez-Nuñez on Eutelsat’s new offering and market leadership

      Ignacio Gonzalez-Nuñez on Eutelsat’s new offering and market leadership

      Francesco Cataldo on iKO Media Group’s CABSAT showcase and broadcast trends

      Francesco Cataldo on iKO Media Group’s CABSAT showcase and broadcast trends

      Deepraj Sandhar on Ross Video’s Middle East growth and broadcast tech trends

      Deepraj Sandhar on Ross Video’s Middle East growth and broadcast tech trends

      Reema Omari

      Reema Omari on Universal Satcom’s growth and connectivity solutions

      Mustafa Afifi

      Mustafa Afifi of Rivada Space on Outernet’s impact in the Middle East

      Don

      ST Engineering iDirect CEO Don Claussen on Mideast ties and satellite strategy

      KSASummit

      Transforming Arabic Content: Studios, Producers and Regional Impact

      Bringing Real-Time Audience Insights to Linear Broadcast TV – A First and Exclusive

      Bringing Real-Time Audience Insights to Linear Broadcast TV – A First and Exclusive

    • Opinion
      Bridging the Latency Gap with Broadcast in a Streaming World

      Bridging the Latency Gap with Broadcast in a Streaming World

      YouTube in Ramadan: The silent giant

      YouTube in Ramadan: The silent giant

      Evision’s transformation proves that business acumen and passion drive success

      Sport’s Growing Grip on MENA Media

      MEASA’s media and communications innovations set new benchmarks beyond regional boundaries

      MEASA’s media and communications innovations set new benchmarks beyond regional boundaries

      Integrate ME 2023 brings its inaugural edition to successful conclusion

      Empowering the next generation of content creation and live broadcasting with AV PRO

      Decoding the Ramadan Drama Phenomenon: What Makes a Winner?

      Decoding the Ramadan Drama Phenomenon: What Makes a Winner?

      Reviving cultural identity through native storytelling in Abu Dhabi

      Reviving cultural identity through native storytelling in Abu Dhabi

      Why it’s game on for broadcasters of live sport

      Why it’s game on for broadcasters of live sport

      Evision’s transformation proves that business acumen and passion drive success

      Saudi Arabia emerges as the epicentre of Media & Entertainment in 2025

      Film and Beyond: Leapfrogging into the global screen industry

      Film and Beyond: Leapfrogging into the global screen industry

    • Interviews
      • All
      • Lounge
      All eys on AIUIa

      All eys on AIUIa

      Grass Valley scales up with software and IP workflows

      Grass Valley scales up with software and IP workflows

      Breaking barriers, building futures: The new face of IABM

      Breaking barriers, building futures: The new face of IABM

      New Leadership, Same Strategy, Sharpened Focus

      New Leadership, Same Strategy, Sharpened Focus

      Creating Captain Shedeed: A superhero with Arab roots

      Creating Captain Shedeed: A superhero with Arab roots

      UAE Pro League flips the field

      UAE Pro League flips the field

      Bringing the wild to the Middle East

      Bringing the wild to the Middle East

      Shades of success

      Shades of success

      Navigating the news wave

      Navigating the news wave

      From archive to asset

      From archive to asset

    • Products
    • Magazine Archive
      • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
      • PRO Directory
    • Events
      • News from Events
      • Upcoming Events
      DICM

      DICM

      IBC Show

      IBC 2025

      MPTS

      CABSAT2025

      CABSAT2025

      NAB Show

    No Result
    View All Result
    BroadcastPro ME
    • News
      • All
      • Analyst Reports
      • AV
      • Cinema Theatres
      • Esports
      • Film partnerships
      • International News
      • Mergers/Acquisitions
      • New appointments
      • OTT/Video Streaming
      • Podcasting
      • Production
      • Satellite/Broadcasting
      • Satellite/Comms
      • TV/Radio Deals
      Eutelsat announces $1.56bn capital increase

      Eutelsat announces $1.56bn capital increase

      Palestine Film Institute to present three documentaries at Sheffield DocFest

      Palestine Film Institute to present three documentaries at Sheffield DocFest

      Conviva expands MENA presence with strategic hire

      Conviva expands MENA presence with strategic hire

      Space42 introduces Thuraya Mobile Broadband Hotspot

      Space42 introduces Thuraya Mobile Broadband Hotspot

      Insys and To-Do Media bring Arabic content to mobile devices

      CJ ENM partners with Shahid to launch premium Korean dramas in MENA

      Orange partners with Huawei to deploy 5G in Egypt

      Orange partners with Huawei to deploy 5G in Egypt

      Sharjah Broadcasting Authority and Chinese media delegation explore strategic collaboration

      Sharjah Broadcasting Authority and Chinese media delegation explore strategic collaboration

      Amman Film Industry Days selects 18 projects for 2025 Pitching Platforms

      Amman Film Industry Days selects 18 projects for 2025 Pitching Platforms

      Korean Film Festival returns to UAE for ninth edition

      Korean Film Festival returns to UAE for ninth edition

      Al-Manasa signs content exchange deal with Yango Play

      Al-Manasa signs content exchange deal with Yango Play

      Trending Tags

      • broadcast
      • MENA broadcast
      • ConnecTech2019
    • Tech Features
      • All
      • CASE STUDIES
      • New Media
      • REVIEWS
      • TV/Radio Deals
      • Updates from FOMEX
      • Virtual Production Series
      Playing to win

      Playing to win

      The expanding role of AI in broadcast

      The expanding role of AI in broadcast

      The power of podcasts and audio streaming in MENA

      The power of podcasts and audio streaming in MENA

      Tech strategies for an evolving modern MENA media ecosystem

      Tech strategies for an evolving modern MENA media ecosystem

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part IV

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part III

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part II

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

      SMF and FOMEX bring top industry leaders together in Riyadh – Part I

      Transforming the entertainment experience with tech

      Transforming the entertainment experience with tech

      Media leaders embrace digital transformation

      Media leaders embrace digital transformation

      Trending Tags

      • Videos
        FOR-A’s award-winning HVS-Q12: A quantum leap in switcher design

        FOR-A’s award-winning HVS-Q12: A quantum leap in switcher design

        Ignacio Gonzalez-Nuñez on Eutelsat’s new offering and market leadership

        Ignacio Gonzalez-Nuñez on Eutelsat’s new offering and market leadership

        Francesco Cataldo on iKO Media Group’s CABSAT showcase and broadcast trends

        Francesco Cataldo on iKO Media Group’s CABSAT showcase and broadcast trends

        Deepraj Sandhar on Ross Video’s Middle East growth and broadcast tech trends

        Deepraj Sandhar on Ross Video’s Middle East growth and broadcast tech trends

        Reema Omari

        Reema Omari on Universal Satcom’s growth and connectivity solutions

        Mustafa Afifi

        Mustafa Afifi of Rivada Space on Outernet’s impact in the Middle East

        Don

        ST Engineering iDirect CEO Don Claussen on Mideast ties and satellite strategy

        KSASummit

        Transforming Arabic Content: Studios, Producers and Regional Impact

        Bringing Real-Time Audience Insights to Linear Broadcast TV – A First and Exclusive

        Bringing Real-Time Audience Insights to Linear Broadcast TV – A First and Exclusive

      • Opinion
        Bridging the Latency Gap with Broadcast in a Streaming World

        Bridging the Latency Gap with Broadcast in a Streaming World

        YouTube in Ramadan: The silent giant

        YouTube in Ramadan: The silent giant

        Evision’s transformation proves that business acumen and passion drive success

        Sport’s Growing Grip on MENA Media

        MEASA’s media and communications innovations set new benchmarks beyond regional boundaries

        MEASA’s media and communications innovations set new benchmarks beyond regional boundaries

        Integrate ME 2023 brings its inaugural edition to successful conclusion

        Empowering the next generation of content creation and live broadcasting with AV PRO

        Decoding the Ramadan Drama Phenomenon: What Makes a Winner?

        Decoding the Ramadan Drama Phenomenon: What Makes a Winner?

        Reviving cultural identity through native storytelling in Abu Dhabi

        Reviving cultural identity through native storytelling in Abu Dhabi

        Why it’s game on for broadcasters of live sport

        Why it’s game on for broadcasters of live sport

        Evision’s transformation proves that business acumen and passion drive success

        Saudi Arabia emerges as the epicentre of Media & Entertainment in 2025

        Film and Beyond: Leapfrogging into the global screen industry

        Film and Beyond: Leapfrogging into the global screen industry

      • Interviews
        • All
        • Lounge
        All eys on AIUIa

        All eys on AIUIa

        Grass Valley scales up with software and IP workflows

        Grass Valley scales up with software and IP workflows

        Breaking barriers, building futures: The new face of IABM

        Breaking barriers, building futures: The new face of IABM

        New Leadership, Same Strategy, Sharpened Focus

        New Leadership, Same Strategy, Sharpened Focus

        Creating Captain Shedeed: A superhero with Arab roots

        Creating Captain Shedeed: A superhero with Arab roots

        UAE Pro League flips the field

        UAE Pro League flips the field

        Bringing the wild to the Middle East

        Bringing the wild to the Middle East

        Shades of success

        Shades of success

        Navigating the news wave

        Navigating the news wave

        From archive to asset

        From archive to asset

      • Products
      • Magazine Archive
        • BroadcastPro ME Magazine
        • PRO Directory
      • Events
        • News from Events
        • Upcoming Events
        DICM

        DICM

        IBC Show

        IBC 2025

        MPTS

        CABSAT2025

        CABSAT2025

        NAB Show

      No Result
      View All Result
      BroadcastPro ME
      No Result
      View All Result
      AMT Ad ibc Ad Rossvideo Ad
      Home News

      UAE’s space ambitions : Building a sustainable future

      Staff Reporter by Staff Reporter
      September 6, 2018
      in News, Satellite/Comms
      ShareTweetPostEmail

      With astronauts space-bound in under a year and a Mars initiative spanning 100 years, the UAE space programme is staggering in scale and pace. Vijaya Cherian meets with UAE Space Agency?s Director General HE Dr Mohamed Nasser Al Ahbabi and his team to understand how the country?s space ambitions will help build a sustainable future. The […]

      Director General HE Dr Mohamed Nasser Al Ahbabi.

      With astronauts space-bound in under a year and a Mars initiative spanning 100 years, the UAE space programme is staggering in scale and pace. Vijaya Cherian meets with UAE Space Agency?s Director General HE Dr Mohamed Nasser Al Ahbabi and his team to understand how the country?s space ambitions will help build a sustainable future.

      The last year has seen the UAE ramp up its space efforts to a pace that has the world offering grudging respect. We live in the UAE at a time when history is in the making, with the country?s leadership announcing a string of ambitious space initiatives that will serve as the bedrock for a sustainable future for the nation?s youth while also strategically placing it in a very elite league of countries that have meaningful space programmes.

      The UAE Space Agency, the brainchild of Director General HE Dr Mohamed Nasser Al Ahbabi, is heading this initiative. To ensure the agency remains agile and focused on its core objectives, it has delegated research and science projects to the national universities, while engaging with existing national space partners like the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and Yahsat for bigger satellite projects.

      Dr Ahbabi, who has a doctorate degree in Laser and Fibre Optics from the UK, was involved in the UAE?s satellite initiative long before he secured approval to start the Space Agency. But he says his passion for space is rooted in Arab culture and dates back to before his skills brought him to the drawing board.

      We knew that we wanted to be a dynamic organisation that could move quickly with our ideas and we wanted to be like Space 2.0 ? very active in the commercial aspect of space? HE Dr Mohamed Nasser Al Ahbabi, Director General, UAE Space Agency

      ?In Arab society, falconry is a tradition and often, after a day of hunting, it is customary to spend our nights sleeping out in the desert,? he explains. ?Typically, in the desert, we tend to spend hours gazing at the sky and identifying the stars our grandparents told us about. The older people in our society never went to school, but they knew each star by name and their direction, and they have passed that on orally from one generation to the next.

      ?Long before GPS came into existence, we had people who excelled in science and astronomy in the Arab world. This is because there was another big need as well. When we pray, we face the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and this was always deduced by looking at the stars, so this is something we have all learnt as children.?

      The real turning point for Dr Ahbabi came when he returned in 2005 from the UK to the UAE after completing his PhD.

      ?I was asked to be part of the new Yahsat project back in 2005. I learned a lot through that programme. I was hooked to space by then, and on interacting with the international space community, I realised that we needed to be part of a strategic space programme that was not just a project. I did a lot of research and went back to our leadership with a proposal supported by evidence and documentation. They told me to establish it.? Having worked on start-up projects for the government before, Dr Ahbabi had a distinct advantage when it came to setting up the UAE Space Agency in 2014.

      Khaled Ali Al Hashmi, Director of Space Missions at the UAE Space Agency.

      ?The leadership gave us the opportunity to plan the agency the way we wanted to do it. So we looked at various international models to see what would suit us best. We knew that we wanted to be a dynamic organisation that could move quickly with our ideas, and we wanted to be like Space 2.0 ? very active in the commercial aspect of space. With the private sector entering the space segment things had started to move very fast while governments got more involved in regulation, facilitation and support. We wanted to ensure that our organisation had its eyes set on the future. That is why we looked at futuristic projects like manned space missions and space tourism. We wanted to create a clear road map. With space, you need to have a very clear plan because it is a very costly exercise.?

      So far, the UAE has invested $6bn in various space activities. In keeping with its objective of ensuring efficient implementation of projects to attain the goals set by the UAE government, the agency decided not to establish its own centres or bring everyone under its umbrella. ?That would have slowed us down. Instead, we decided to collaborate with existing organisations in the private and public sector, and engage their services based on their expertise. In the commercial space, for instance, we try to support our companies towards buying and operating satellites. When it comes to research and development, we work with local universities, where we provide the funds for their space-related academic programmes. Universities do not report to us; they operate autonomously. This way, we found we could build a more sustainable ecosystem and fulfil the mandate of our leadership. We just orchestrate the whole thing, if you like.? The UAE Space Agency also engages with bigger entities like MBRSC and Yahsat, though they were established much earlier.

      “One thing that we are really proud of is the fact that Tawazun Precision Industries (TPI), a local company, is manufacturing around 65 components for this spacecraft in the UAE. We pre-qualified them in coordination with MBRSC and now they are producing these components? Khaled Ali Al Hashmi, Director of Space Missions, UAE Space Agency

      ?MBRSC is funded by the Dubai government. They were established in 2006 and have a lot of engineers and the right skills. When we have a project in hand, we look at which organisation is the most capable of executing it and contract them to do it.? The UAE already has seven large satellites in space. Yahsat has three of its own and two from its new acquisition, Thuraya. MBRSC has two satellites and is gearing up for the launch of a third ? KhalifaSat ? later this year. Perhaps the agency?s most ambitious project to date is its Mars mission, which has various elements to it. The first is the Hope Mars Probe, a spacecraft that will be launched in 2020 and orbit Mars in 2021 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the founding of the UAE. The second is an ambitious 100-year programme to build a city on Mars.

      The third is the establishment of the Mars Scientific City, a $136m project that will simulate life on Mars. Spread over a space of 1.9 million square feet, this city in Dubai will be the largest space-simulation city ever built and will provide a viable and realistic model of living on the surface of Mars. The project encompasses laboratories for food, energy and water, as well as agricultural testing and studies of food security in the future. The first phase will be ready by 2020.

      At present, the focus is on the Hope Mars Probe, which is being launched to study the red planet better in conjunction with other international scientific communities, and share information about its temperature and climate.

      Nasser A. Al Hammadi, Head of Space Policy.

      As Dr Ahbabi pointed out earlier, the agency looks locally to see who has the expertise to take up one of its projects.

      ?For this Mars mission, we felt that MBRSC had the skills and the expertise, so we signed a contract with them to do it. Of course, because we are small, I wanted my engineers to learn as well, so they have also gone to MBRSC to work on it.?

      The person helping with the implementation of this project, or ?doing the cooking in the kitchen? as he humorously puts it, is aerospace engineer Khaled Ali Al Hashmi, Director of Space Missions at the UAE Space Agency.

      ?The Hope project, or Amal, is the first flagship programme for the UAE. This satellite is a 24/7 probe covering the upper and lower atmosphere of Mars; it adds value to other missions that are studying different elements of the Martian atmosphere. We have partnered with the universities of Colorado, Berkeley and Arizona to contribute the sensors for the probe. Three sensors ? infrared, ultraviolet and cameras ? make up the main instrumentation. We are also collaborating with NASA to track the satellite,? says Al Hashmi.

      “The UAE Space Agency has built ties with more than 25 national and international stakeholders and partners across the world since 2014? Nasser A. Al Hammadi, Head of Space Policy

      He points out that roughly 60 UAE nationals are involved in this project, with 50 engineers from MBRSC and the rest from the UAE Space Agency.

      ?One thing that we are really proud of is the fact that Tawazun Precision Industries (TPI), a local company, is manufacturing around 65 components for this spacecraft in the UAE. We prequalified them in coordination with MBRSC and now they are producing these components. We will do the assembly, integration and testing of the spacecraft. In 2019, we will have completed the full environmental testing of the spacecraft. Mitsubishi in Japan will help launch the vehicle.? Dr Ahbabi is also pleased that ?the project is on budget, within the designated weight and on time?, which he says is ?not typical for a space project?.

      ?All of us are working with certain margins in terms of weight ? both the company that is designing the rocket to launch our probe and us. If it?s less than the weight planned, it immediately throws open so many options. You can inject more fuel to increase the lifespan of the spacecraft or consider ride sharing for one of your smaller satellites. It?s very exciting to think of all the things you can do with your options,? says Dr Ahbabi, the excitement vivid in his eyes.

      Participants at the Mars Summer Camp held last month in Australia by the agency, in collaboration with the Mike Roach Space Education Centre.

      Once the probe reaches orbit, a team of university students and the Emirates Mars Mission team will analyse the data received from the Al Amal spacecraft. The probe, however, is only a stepping stone to the UAE?s more ambitious dream to set up habitation on Mars in 100 years.

      ?It may seem hugely ambitious, but our leadership has always made it clear that if you are going to set a goal, set it as high as you can so everybody will compete and there is something worth aspiring to. Mars is not the destination for us. It is the journey. It is what we learn and achieve in the process, how many people we educate, the technology we start developing within the country, the soft power this project will contribute, the cooperation you build with international powers and how much research you would have conducted, and the intellectual property and the patents you would have created in the process.

      ?That?s why this journey is so important,? he explains. ?It?s about building knowledge, confidence, international cooperation, respect and credit for our country through the space agency.?

      The results are already showing, he says. In late April, students from Abu Dhabi University (ADU), American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK), Khalifa University (KU), University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) and New York University ? Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) participated at the Global Aerospace Summit 2018 in Abu Dhabi, where they showcased a number of aerospace projects under development at their institutions. Presently, five or six different CubeSat or CanSat projects are under development in universities.

      ?Young people who joined the project and knew nothing about space are now leading and participating in these big conferences and discussing their science objectives. You can?t buy that knowledge. You have to go through a long-term project like this to build that. We would have also gained the respect of the international community. When they see someone from this region at this difficult time coming up with these ideas like a torch in the darkness, they will join you,? Dr Ahbabi says.

      And the proof is in the international deals that the agency has recently inked with the most influential space players. Nasser A. Al Hammadi, Head of Space Policy, who is responsible for developing those relations both regionally and internationally, says the agency ?has built ties with more than 25 national and international stakeholders and partners across the world since 2014?.

      Among its many deals, the UAE Space Agency has recently signed separate letters of intent with both Russia and NASA for the UAE Astronaut Programme. The country completed a massive hunt for its first four astronauts earlier this year, and of the 4,000 applicants, nine have qualified for the final round. This month, the agency is likely to announce the chosen four and the first astronaut among them, who will represent the country.

      ?We have a Letter of Intent with Russia to take the first Emirati astronaut to space. Our first astronaut is scheduled to reach the International Space Station in April 2019. We have also signed an agreement with NASA that covers cooperation in the peaceful exploration of outer space and our astronaut programme. This agreement also allows us to share the space NASA has on ISS. We work with all nations across the world. We have picked our advisory committee as well from different countries, because they bring different levels of expertise and perspectives,? explains Dr Ahbabi.

      Members gather for the first national workshop held in Abu Dhabi to assess the economic significance of space activities

      The UAE Space Agency is simultaneously working with UAE universities to ensure that students remain an integral part of its space initiatives. The agency has encouraged individual contributions and collaborations between universities while also empowering them to get involved in manufacturing some of the components.

      ?We established a centre at Masdar and another at Sharjah University, and we try to work within their mandates as academic institutions. If we want to create a small satellite of less than 50kg, we approach Masdar. For a satellite that is between 50kg and 200kg, we approach the UAE University in Al Ain. A bigger satellite of 500kg or more will be handled by MBRSC. When it comes to astrophysics or science, Sharjah comes into the picture.?

      In response to the question of whether universities will collaborate to produce a better product, Dr Ahbabi says this is controlled through funding: ?When we put out a proposal, we always say that the chance of them winning the opportunity to do it is greater if they collaborate.?

      As a result, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, part of the Khalifa Institute of Science and Technology, and AURAK are presently working on developing a 3U CubeSat called MeznSat to study the Earth?s atmosphere. The satellite is to be launched in late 2019 from a site in Japan, in coordination with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

      Once in orbit, the students will monitor, process and analyse the data from a ground station in the UAE. The processes and expertise involved in monitoring the atmosphere are similar to those employed during conventional Earth observation programmes.

      ?This CubeSat will measure the abundance and distribution of methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It will help them to study the concentration of nutrients in the coastal waters of the Arabian Gulf, and make more accurate predictions of algal blooms,? explains Dr Ahbabi.

      KU is working with NYUAD on another satellite project.

      The UAE also recently signed the Paris Declaration to address climate change, so these satellites are being used for Earth observation, climate change and similar scientific initiatives.

      A larger 150kg satellite is also being developed between the UAE and France as part of the Paris Declaration, says Al Hashmi. ?This is a hyperspectral satellite for remote sensing and is the first in the region. It will help us to understand the terrain and the vegetation in this country better.?

      The agency is also working closely with an organisation to learn how to analyse the data from the various satellites it is launching into space, and ensuring universities are involved in this exercise.

      ?We are building the capabilities at local universities at various levels,? explains Al Hashmi. ?We are also funding local universities to build certain technologies like navigation controls, computers, GPS receivers and so on. We are building those capabilities so that in the future, the main components of the satellite can be built in the UAE.?

      This collaboration with various entities within the country has helped the nation develop its space activities exponentially. As a result, regional and international agencies as well as scientific organisations are looking to the UAE to collaborate and partner on various initiatives.

      For instance, as Bahrain looks to begin its own space initiative, it has invited the agency to help it identify a few engineers to helm it. In addition, Nasser A. Al Hammadi, Head of Space Policy, points out that HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has asked the agency to step up collaboration within the Arab region.

      ?His Highness called for us to get closer to our neighbours and share our expertise so that everyone can benefit from it.?

      Although space activities are still minimal within the GCC, Algeria already has a space agency and Morocco has remote earth sensing capabilities.

      ?Everyone has different levels of expertise, and we are trying to bring all of them together so we can tap into each other?s expertise and benefit mutually,? explains Al Hammadi.

      In the meantime, the UAE is also drumming up support internationally and has most recently entered into a number of partnerships within Latin America.

      ?We have recently established partnerships in Argentina and Brazil as well. The programme we have today is very ambitious and aggressive. Our goal is to connect with everybody on a regional and international level,? Al Hammadi adds.

      One aspect that remains crucial is space regulation, and the UAE is also in the process of finalising its national space law.

      ?Our national space law will discuss the regulation of human space flights, space mining and space tourism. It will be a state-of-the-art space law that will come out before the end of the year,? says Dr Ahbabi. He is clear about one thing.

      ?If you want sustainability, you have to get everyone involved and, more importantly, you must get the private sector to step in. This is why we are trying to establish local centres while also working with a number of countries like Russia and Kazakhstan for space investment.?

      So far, 500 UAE nationals are involved in the country?s space programmes, 50 at the UAE Space Agency. ?I call them the dream team. We want the UAE Space Agency to remain a government entity while operating with the agility of a private entity. We are also here to ensure that our space initiatives create a sustainable knowledge-based economy and simultaneously help raise the profile of the UAE internationally. There is no better project than this to do that.?

      Tags: governmentMBRSCUAEUAE Space AgencyUAE's Mars mission

      Related Posts

      Firefly Aerospace adds UAE’s Rashid 2 Rover to Blue Ghost mission

      Firefly Aerospace adds UAE’s Rashid 2 Rover to Blue Ghost mission

      May 25, 2025
      UAE Space Agency concludes participation at Make it in the Emirates 2025

      UAE Space Agency concludes participation at Make it in the Emirates 2025

      May 23, 2025
      The UAE’s Role in the Next Era of Satellite Intelligence

      The UAE’s Role in the Next Era of Satellite Intelligence

      May 13, 2025
      SATExpo Middle East 2025 launches as regional space industry hub

      SATExpo Middle East 2025 launches as regional space industry hub

      May 9, 2025
      Arab Satellite 813 Programme completes System Integration Review

      Arab Satellite 813 Programme completes System Integration Review

      May 7, 2025
      National Space Academy opens registration for second space training cohort

      National Space Academy opens registration for second space training cohort

      April 29, 2025

      Related News

      BSNL gets license to operate Inmarsat GX Broadband in India

      BSNL gets license to operate Inmarsat GX Broadband in India

      October 23, 2021
      More Related News

      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