With exactly five years to go until the UAE hosts its biggest event, Expo 2020, that year will also see the country’s ambition go extraterrestrial with the launch of the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) Hope Probe. “It’s something we have to do if we want to progress and move forward,” says Omran Sharaf, who heads the project. “If we can reach Mars, all challenges for the nation should be doable.
A project supervised in terms of design, manufacturing and launch by the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), the UAE-designed and built craft is expected to complete the 60-million-kilometre journey to reach the red planet half a century to the year since the founding of the country.
Underscoring the nation’s endeavours on this front, last year saw the establishment of the UAE Space Agency, a body responsible for regulating and developing the space sector, and last month was adopted into the 84-member Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, which governs the exploration and use of space for peace, security and development. According to national news service WAM, this gives the country access to the science of space technology, which can be harnessed to improve sustainable development in the economic, social and environmental sectors.
The UAE is also the first Arab country to join the ranks of world’s elite space agencies in the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG). Consisting of 14 bodies, including NASA and the European Space Agency, the ISECG will support the EMM project through providing expertise and collaboration.
Dr Mohammad Nasser Al Ahbabi, Director-General of the UAE Space Agency, said at the organisation’s maiden outing at the Dubai Airshow, “Being among this international gathering is consistent with the Agency’s plan to build partnerships and strengthen relations with major international companies. We aim to supplement the space sector in the country with the latest developments, which will be reflected on existing and future projects.”
One such partnership was formalised recently in the form of an agreement with the International Astronomy Centre to create a meteor monitoring and filming network in the UAE. Consisting of at least three stations with command-and-control centres in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region, all expected to be completed by the end of next year, the project will provide substantial astronomical reports and data around meteor and satellite movements.
Learning to launch
The UAE Space Agency’s mandate includes supporting the development of a generation of engineers and scientists, and directing national space programmes that will have direct benefits to the UAE’s economy and developing human capital. It scored a victory by receiving more than 1,850 entries from primary, middle and secondary school students during its recent Space Rocket competition.
“The overwhelming response we’ve received for the competition is an indication of how widespread the interest for space is among school students,” Dr Al Ahbabi said. “It is recognised that work in the field of space is associated with the highest levels of success and achievements for aspiring and ambitious students.”
Also speaking at the Dubai Airshow, Dr Khalifa Mohammad Thani Al Rumaithi, Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, added, “The agency aims, as part of its strategic plans, to encourage students to study science, technology and space sciences for the development of future generations of scientists and researchers. The agency is therefore keen to organise educational initiatives such as this competition to inspire students to specialise in this area, and hopefully one day contribute to the space sector as valuable resources.”
Adding emphasis to the focus on education, the EMM’s Teachers Ambassador Programme aims to support educators tasked with delivering the next generation of engineers and scientists in space science. According to a statement, its goal is to review curricula and launch new programmes to prepare UAE students for this sector. It will also organise workshops for teachers and introduce space camps.
“We will spare no effort in building strong cooperation and transferring the knowledge we have in a manner that would serve the purpose of building future generations of engineers and scientists to meet the UAE’s demand in the field of space science,” Sharaf said at an introductory day at the Planetarium at the Sharjah Centre for Astronomy and Space Sciences.
“In doing so, we hope to be in line with the directions and guidance graciously extended by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, whose aim it is that the UAE joins major countries in the field of space science by the year 2021.
“This also is in line with the National Innovation Strategy, whose objective it is to develop the space sector as one of the newest sectors in the national economy,” he said.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, visited the Space is Our Destination exhibition, held as part of the UAE Innovation Week. “Emirati space engineers are a model for our children and Arab youth,” Shaikh Mohammad said. “We are proud of them.
“The UAE space project is not only a technological project but a national project that is aimed at preparing human resources that will be able to keep pace with future developments and drive the UAE to another stage of growth and competitiveness with other countries in all areas of technology.”
Make in UAE
Following the launch of DubaiSat-1 in 2009 in collaboration with South Korean engineers, the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology’s DubaiSat-2 launched as a fully Emirati project in 2013. KhalifaSat, planned to launch in 2017, will be the country’s most advanced and the first built by Emirati engineers in the UAE. The nano-satellite Nayif-1, developed by Emirati students at the American University of Sharjah under the leadership and supervision of MBRSC, is expected to launch in the first six months of next year.
The big picture
Dr Khalifa Mohammad Thani Al Rumaithi, Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, says the country has invested more than Dh20 billion in space technologies. This places it among the biggest investors as emerging nations step up, doubling their spending from $35 billion in 2000 to around $73 billion in 2012, according to space market consultancy Euroconsult.
Other leaders include Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, while there are about 70 countries with space programmes.
According to the Space Report 2015, the global space economy grew by 9 per cent last year, reaching a total of $330 billion worldwide. Commercial space activities made up 76 per cent thereof, while government investments in space grew by 7.3 per cent. The US remains the biggest spender in space-related activities and industries.
