Amna Al Ketbi (Dubai)
The UAE has developed an ambitious and long-term strategic plan to build a solid and sustainable foundation for a society based on science and knowledge. It has launched many space projects that will contribute to the development of science, technology and innovation in the various fields of space, and will lead the country to play an important role in the global space race.
In record time, the UAE was able to establish itself as one of the most important international players in the space sector, as it now owns more than 17 orbiting satellites, 7 new spacecraft under development, more than 50 global and emerging space companies, institutions and facilities, 5 research centers for space sciences and three University programs in space sciences in the country to graduate qualified cadres to lead the sector towards further development.
The number of workers in the UAE space sector is estimated at more than 3,100 people, while the volume of spending in the UAE space sector has exceeded 22 billion dirhams, during the past few years, of which 50% are from the private sector.
Mars exploration
In February 2021, the UAE succeeded in achieving a historic achievement by sending the first Arab probe to the orbit of Mars last February, and it was the fifth country in the world to reach the Red Planet, as the probe succeeded in traveling 493 million kilometers in deep space to reach the orbit of the Red Planet.
The probe was launched to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the UAE Federation, and the planning, management and implementation of the probe project is being carried out by an Emirati team whose members rely on their skills and diligence to acquire all knowledge related to space exploration and its application, as the UAE Space Agency oversees and finances the project in full. , while the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center is developing the probe in cooperation with international partners.
The mission’s objectives are to build highly qualified Emirati human resources in the field of space technology, develop knowledge, scientific research and space applications that benefit humanity, establish a sustainable economy based on knowledge, promote diversification and encourage innovation, and raise the UAE’s position in the space race to expand benefits, and enhance efforts The Emirates in the field of scientific discoveries, and the establishment of international partnerships in the space sector to enhance the position of the United Arab Emirates.
Flower
The United Arab Emirates announced a new mission in the field of space, which includes building an Emirati spacecraft that will travel 3.6 billion kilometers, during which it will reach Venus and seven asteroids within the solar system, and make a historic landing on the last asteroid in its five-year journey, and the space project explores The new Emirati, which enhances the scientific development process and consolidates the position of the UAE in the field of planetary exploration and deep space, the secrets that shape the solar system.
The new space project includes sending a spacecraft to explore Venus and the asteroid belt within the solar system. The development of the spacecraft will take 7 years, and it will be ready to launch on its space journey, within a launch window set for the beginning of 2028. The duration of the scientific mission of the Emirates project to explore Venus and the asteroid belt 5 years from 2028 to 2033.
UAE Astronaut Program
The UAE Astronaut Program aims to train and prepare a team of Emirati astronauts and send them into space to carry out various scientific missions. It includes 4 astronauts: Hazza Al Mansouri, Sultan Al Neyadi, Mohammed Al Mulla and Noura Al Matrooshi. The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center supervises the UAE Astronaut Program, It is directly supported by the Communications and Information Technology Development Fund, the financing arm of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, and the program aims to qualify a team of Emirati astronauts according to the highest standards.
space simulation
The UAE launched the mission to simulate life in space on November 4, 2021, with the participation of Saleh Al Ameri, the pioneer of Emirati space simulation, which is a global experiment in which the UAE participates to simulate life in outer space as part of a series of experiments of the “international scientific research project at the unique ground station” known as “Cyrus” 20/21, and the 8-month “Emirates Space Simulation Project” will be held at the Russian Experimental Complex for Space Research (NEK) in Moscow. One place for a long time affects human physical, mental and psychological health, as well as the harmony of one team to prepare for long-term space exploration trips. This unique mission is the first experience that provides the opportunity for Emirati youth from various scientific fields to be part of a pivotal experiment to implement future space missions. It will also contribute pivotally to developing local capabilities to implement the “Mars 2117” project, which includes building the first human settlement on The surface of the red planet by the year 2117.
rightly guided
The Emirati lunar explorer was named “Rashid”, after the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the former ruler of Dubai and the builder of its renaissance. To the ground control station at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center. The explorer will test technical devices and equipment that are being tested for the first time, in order to determine how efficiently they work in the harsh environment of the moon, and to test the capabilities of the UAE before embarking on manned exploration missions to Mars. During the trial period, the explorer will collect data related to scientific issues such as the origin of the solar system, our planet and life.
National Space Strategy
The National Space Strategy 2030 was approved, which defines the general framework for the space industry in the UAE and the activities that will be worked on during the next decade. Subsequent to the approval of the Cabinet, the UAE Space Agency announced the details of the National Space Strategy 2030, which translates the principles and ambitions in the policy into a set of national programs and initiatives that will be implemented by stakeholders in the UAE space sector by 2030, where the Agency, in cooperation with the concerned authorities and partners, will achieve This is done through 18 programs and 71 initiatives that are measured through sectoral and strategic performance indicators.
The strategy includes 6 strategic objectives, which are to provide competitive and world-leading space services, develop advanced local capabilities in research, development and manufacture of space technology, launch inspiring scientific and exploratory space missions, build a high national culture and expertise in the space field, in addition to strengthening effective local and global partnerships and investments in the space industry. space, and ensuring a legislative and supportive infrastructure that keeps pace with the various future developments of the sector.
Transfer of knowledge and experience
The use of local space technology will allow Emirati scientists and engineers to transfer their knowledge and experience to students, in addition to building solid foundations that will establish an integrated educational structure. space science and technology, continues to develop its capabilities in the space sector, and makes a valuable contribution in the field of space sciences for the benefit of all mankind.
Moon exploration
The UAE is working on a project to launch the lunar exploration project-2024, and it also aims to develop an Emirati-made explorer to land on the moon in 2024. The lunar exploration mission aims to conduct tests to study various aspects of the lunar surface, including lunar soil, and the thermal properties of surface structures. , the lunar photoelectronsphere, plasma and optoelectronics measurements, and dust particles above the illuminated part of the lunar surface.
space sector regulation
The law on regulating the space sector was issued at the end of 2019, according to which the Emirates Space Agency is responsible for regulating the space sector in the country, and with the issuance of the law, Federal Decree Law No. (1) of 2014 regarding the establishment of the Emirates Space Agency was canceled. This law is the first of its kind at the Arab level and Islamic, and aims to create a legislative and regulatory environment in the UAE space sector that is consistent with other laws and regulations in the country, respects international treaties, is characterized by clarity, transparency and flexibility, protects the interests of the state, reconciles economic and commercial requirements and encourages innovation on the one hand, and the requirements of security, safety and preservation of the environment on the other hand. .
The law specialized in regulating the space sector is distinguished by its dealing with traditional legal issues dealt with in space legislation, in addition to a number of new issues in this field, such as launching from space, the use of space resources, manned commercial space activities (space tourism) and the construction and use of man-made facilities in space. And on other celestial bodies, providing logistical services in space, training and scientific flights in support of space, activities at high altitudes and space debris, and managing space risks and meteorites falling from space.
The nature of space also requires a solid framework of international law that leads to the development of harmonized national space laws among countries with space programmes. From this standpoint, the UAE Space Agency works to represent and express the interests of the United Arab Emirates before the international community, through active participation and contribution in international organizations and forums concerned with outer space.
The UAE has also joined four out of the five major international space treaties: The Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which includes basic legal principles and principles governing the exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies.