plz speak about launch capabilities
To tell you in short: Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud: "I salute the efforts of a country like the UAE for its active and gradual efforts," he said. "Saudi Arabia did not build its programme in one day, and no country can import its space programme."
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Jul 30, 2009
The UAE is positioning itself to lead the Middle East into space, lifted by investment in technology, expertise and facilities, experts say. At the focal point of the new push is the Dh2.9 billion (US$800 million) Gulf space centre and satellite programme based in Abu Dhabi, which will be the largest in the Middle East and North Africa region. And officials hope the end result will be increased collaboration and even a pan-Arab space agency.
Omar Emam, a space technology adviser at the Arab Science and Technology Foundation, said only a few countries in the region had even launched satellites. "The difficulty is that projects such as these are very expensive, and many countries in the Middle East and Africa do not have the money to fund these kind of things," Mr Emam said. "That is why a pan-Arab or Middle East and African space agency is so important. It would allow countries which take part to share the cost and the rewards.
Because UAE scientists had no experience in designing and building satellites, they agreed a deal with the South Korean firm Satrec to design and build DubaiSat-1 - but, more importantly, to teach Emirati scientists the skills needed to create future probes. "We are investing in our natural human resources in sectors that are the cutting edge of technology," Mr al Ghanim said. "We are committed to positioning the UAE as a science and technology hub and establishing international collaborations and joint projects with industry and research organisations," he said.
"Traditionally, this has relied on hiring foreign consultants, but now the focus is on projects that include the UAE sending up satellites that have been designed and built here," he said. "This is an example of the shift in momentum now turning the focus onto home-grown projects." One of the most ambitious of the new generation of home-grown space projects is the Gulf space centre, known as the 4C GEOC (Gulf Earth Observation Centre), which alone is expected to cost $30 million and fill 10,000 square metres.
Two more ground stations are in the works, one each in Africa and elsewhere in Asia, to monitor and interpret satellite images and data from across the region. Both military and civilian applications are foreseen. Initially the facility will receive and distribute data from satellites already in space that are managed by the Italian firm Telespazio and the Italian Space Agency. The 4C GEOC project will be able to produce its own images after it launches its first two satellites, each costing almost $200 million, by the end of 2012.
The centre is also planning to create a space academy, with classrooms and laboratories providing education up to university level on telecommunications, electronics and space engineering. Mr Saith said the level of investment in the space technology sector would act as a catalyst and drive further projects. "The aim is to develop a core knowledge base in the UAE, which would act as a regional centre of expertise offering assistance to countries looking to develop a presence in the space technology field," he said.
"We need a regulatory authority not just to put the policies there but to co-ordinate everything - a special monitoring body to follow progress." That government space programme may be the foundation of a pan-Arab space agency, said Salem al Marri, one of the architects of the DubaiSat-1 project. "A federal space agency representing the whole country is something that we are aiming for," he said.
"That would be the natural next step towards a pan-Arab programme and would allow the UAE to speak with one voice about its ambitions and plans for space research. "I think it is a feasible and worthwhile project, but for now, it is still some way off."
Full: UAE leads the Middle East's race into space - The National
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Dec 10, 2009
The first Arab in space says the UAE is taking the right approach as it considers embarking on a space programme. Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, a member of the Saudi royal family who was aboard a space shuttle mission in 1985, praised the UAE's efforts to train its own space scientists and engineers.
"I salute the efforts of a country like the UAE for its active and gradual efforts," he said. "Saudi Arabia did not build its programme in one day, and no country can import its space programme." The Arab world has come a long way in regards to space travel, Prince Sultan said at the Global Space Technology Forum. He pointed to the opening of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in his country as a turning point for higher education in the region that emphasises the importance of scientific learning.
"Space [once] was the preserve of countries of the First World. There were few astronauts and cosmonauts from the Third World, let alone from Muslim or Arab countries," he said. "There were no national space programmes or serious university research programmes in most Third World countries. There were very few Muslim or Arab space scientists in this area, and most of them worked or studied in western or Soviet institutions."
The expansion of space projects in the Middle East was an important signal, he said. "We really have to begin thinking of ourselves in this region as contributors to the future of humanity," he said. In the summer of 1985, Prince Sultan became the first Arab and Muslim in space when he embarked on an American space shuttle mission as a payload specialist. His recollection of the day remains sharp.
"On 7.33am Florida time, six crew members and myself launched on a seven-day mission to outer space, carrying with us three communications satellites," he told the forum. For Prince Sultan, the aspirational qualities of space mattered more than the technicalities of living in zero gravity or the latest in satellite imaging techniques. Arabs had been involved in space programmes before through support roles in ground-based projects,
such as the contributions of Dr Farouk al Baz, an Egyptian American who helped plan NASA's exploration of the Moon in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
But Prince Sultan's flight thrust them into the space age in a much more visceral way. It was a message directed at "the millions of young people in the Arab and Islamic world who, for the first time, were exposed to space travel, in such a visible and direct way", he said. Prince Sultan said his adventure had the galvanising effect he wanted on Arab youth. "It is really one thing to hear about others travelling to space, and quite another to see one of your own go up aboard a spaceship," he said. "People need inspiration to accomplish great things."
Space programmes had tangible benefits as well, he said. "Much of the technological development in our modern world was either developed with a direct connection to the space programmes or as a derivative of it, or even inspired by it," he said. And to Prince Sultan, space was a big part of that inspiration. "When the history of this planet is written, it will reflect human achievement and contributions towards all humanity, not one region or race," he said. "It is important to benefit from space-related science and technology for our regional development, but it's equally critical to participate in shaping the future of humanity through knowledge building and scientific co-operation."
The image of a unified planet struck a chord with him during the space shuttle mission. He recalled a conversation after the trip, on his feelings as he looked down upon the Earth. "The first day or so, we all pointed to our countries," he said. "The third or fourth day we were pointing to our continents. By the fifth day, we were only aware of one Earth."
Emirates urged to train its own astronauts - The National
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December 12, 2009
Meanwhile, NASA was announcing a new initiative to help train UAE’s aerospace engineers:
NASA and the Arab Youth Venture Foundation in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) have partnered to provide three to 12 UAE engineering students each year the opportunity to work with U.S. students, scientists, and engineers on NASA missions. The program’s goal is to engage outstanding college students from the UAE in fields of science, technology, engineering and aerospace.
“The space program has a unique ability to inspire students to pursue excellence in disciplines that drive science and technology innovation,” said Joyce Winterton, assistant administrator for education at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “With this Space Act Agreement, NASA will engage outstanding students in the UAE to continue their development in the critical skills of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”
Under this program, UAE students will join U.S. students in a research project administered by the Education Associates Program at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif. UAE student involvement will provide U.S. student participants with valuable experience and knowledge about working together with representatives from other countries. The Education Associates Program anticipates its first group of Education Research Fellows in January 2010. Corporations and government entities in the UAE will sponsor the foundation’s activities in full, including costs related to student lodging, housing, and transportation.
“There is much work to be done to promote and deliver inspired science, technology, education, aerospace and math education in the Arab world that is hands-on and conducted in real world settings,” said Lisa-Renee LaBonte, chief executive officer of the Arab Youth Venture Foundation. “This groundbreaking program, administered by NASA, will provide select UAE citizens the opportunity to work with NASA scientists, researchers, and engineers on actual NASA missions.”
Founded in Ras Al Khaimah, the Arab Youth Venture Foundation is dedicated to imagining and bringing to life initiatives that nurture the innovative spirits and entrepreneurial mindsets of youth aged six to 21 across the Arab world. The foundation’s goal is to create activities that develop the next generation of scientific researchers, engineers, inventors, corporate leaders and entrepreneurs.
Since 1998, the Education Associates Program has placed more than 1,500 U.S. students from schools throughout the country in research positions working on NASA missions. Cooperation with the Arab Youth Venture Foundation will provide future U.S. participants in this NASA sponsored program at Ames with valuable cultural exposure and experience in working with their international counterparts.
This new partnership and NASA’s many other education programs play a key role in preparing, inspiring, exciting, encouraging, and nurturing students in the critical disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
UAE Space Investment Lauded as New NASA Cooperation Program Launched at Parabolic Arc
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July 26, 2010
With little fanfare, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been steadily been building a portfolio of space resources.*The UAE, a federation of seven states, has one satellites in orbit with a two more on order, a deal with Virgin Galactic, and an internship program with NASA.
DubaiSat-1, a remote sensing satellite built by South Korea and weighing in at 200 kilograms, was launched in 2009 and is now operational.*Funded by the UAE government for a cost of $50 million, its panchromatic images have a resolution of 2.5 meters and multispectral images have a resolution of 5 meters. DubaiSat-2 is slated to be launched in 2012 and will be able to deliver higher resolution images , along with plans to make imagery commercially available.*
The ultimately hope is to build Dubai-Sat-3 and follow-on satellites wholly made in the UAE by Emirati engineers, but*a testing facility unique to the region would cost $10 million and need to have more than one customer.*
In 2011, the Al Yah Satellite Communications Company plans to put up a pair of geosynchronous communications satellites to provide services to government and commercial users. Dubbed Yahsat, the $1.7 billion project will provide C-band, Ku-Band, and Ka-band services for broadband, broadcast, and private users.*Earlier this month, Yahsat signed a deal with CapRock Communications*(News - Alert) to design, install equipment, and manage the private, custom satellite service.
Looking to the future, the UAE is investing in aerospace engineering talent. Under a three year agreement between NASA and the non-profit Arab Youth Venture Foundation (AYVF), up to 12 UAE students per year participate in the space agency's Education Associates Program (EAP).*The EAP provides hands-on experience for students, post-docs and faculty working with NASA scientists and engineers.*During a ten week internship, students will work on a variety of projects including aeronautics research, solar system exploration, the space shuttle and the International Space Station.
Put all the pieces together -- satellites, launch services, engineering talent -- and the UAE will have an impressive space capability in the years to come.
Doug Mohney is a contributing editor for TMCnet and a 20-year veteran of the ICT space. To read more of his articles, please visit columnist page.
United Arab Emirates Builds Space Resources
