United Arab Emirates Space Agency
وكالة الإمارات للفضاء | |
Space agency | |
Jurisdiction | ![]() |
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Headquarters | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
Administrator | Sarah Al Amiri |
Website | space |
The United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) (
The agency is charged with the growth of the sector through partnerships, academic programmes and investments in R&D, commercial initiatives, and driving space science research and exploration.[1]
History
The UAE proposed in 2008 to establish a Pan-Arab Space Agency, as a civilian project like the European Space Agency (ESA). The Arab Science and Technology Foundation said an agency for the Middle East and North Africa already had unofficial support from some governments and hoped that a regional organisation for disseminating satellite images could form an early foundation. The agency would monitor security and environmental changes with equatorial satellites. It would not develop its own launch capability, as that was commercially available.[2] The proposed regional agency would reduce the cost of putting satellites into orbit and pool talent and research. Plans were submitted to the region's governments and pushed for at the Global Space Technology Forum in December 2009. The UAE had already launched satellites and established an Earth Observation Space Center in Abu Dhabi.[3][4][5] However, little progress to establish the regional agency was made after the proposal.[6]
The United Arab Emirates Space Agency was then established in 2014 by presidential decree.[7]
In 2015, it formed a partnership with the
Budget
The space agency has gathered about $5.2 billion of funding from government, private, and semi-private entities.[10]
Strategic programme
The Agency's strategic goals were announced in May 2015 and include:[11]
- Develop and guide a world-class national space sector that supports sustainable development.
- Promote scientific research and innovation to support progress in space sciences and technologies.
- Attract and promote young Emiratis to become space scientists and technology pioneers.
- Build and enhance international co-operation and partnership to provide administrative services with high quality standards and transparency.
UAE Space Agency initiatives
The Agency is involved in directing, investing in, and promoting a number of initiatives. The UAE has launched prior to the existence of the Agency commercial satellites constructed by EADS (YahSat 1A and 1B), Boeing (Thuraya 1, 2 and 3) and MBRSC DubaiSat-1 and DubaiSat-2, developed as part of a technology transfer programme with South Korea's Satrec Initiative, resulting in an existing space sector investment of some $5.5 billion.[11]
Space Science Research Centre, Al-Ain
The $27 million
Emirates Mars Mission
The
Emirates Lunar Mission
On 29 September 2020, Dubai's ruler, Sheikh
Graduate degree programme in Advanced Space Science
In May 2015, an MoU was signed by
Space tourism
The space agency is working to bring space tourism to UAE from Al Ain International Airport serving as a potential space port for the agency.[20]
The Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt
In May 2023, UAE Space Agency announced a mission to the
The mission aims to add to our understanding of the foundation of our solar system and the presence and origins of the building blocks of life found in the asteroid belt, as well as lay the ground for possible future resource extraction from asteroids.
See also
References
- ^ "Objectives | UAE Space Agency". www.space.gov.ae. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ^ Call for pan-Arab space agency, The National 27 October 2008
- ^ UAE develops space industry, itweb 15 April 2009
- ^ UAE pioneering pan Arab space agency Archived 23 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine, The Hindu 17 April 2009
- ^ Abu Dhabi Forum Could Boost Plans for Pan-Arab Space Agency Archived 26 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Khaleej Times 5 December 2009
- ^ Shaykhoun, Sonya. "Pan-Arab Space Agency: Pipe Dream or Real Possibility?". satellitetoday.com. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ^ Schreck, Adam. "The United Arab Emirates is joining the space race". ASSOCIATED PRESS. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ^ "United Arab Emirates launches space agency". 26 May 2015. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
- ^ "Dubai and UK satellites to work together". gulfnews.com. 26 May 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ^ Greene, Kate (30 March 2017). "Why the United Arab Emirates is Building a Space Program from Scratch". Slate.
- ^ a b c "UAE space agency unveils ambitious plans". gulfnews.com. 25 May 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
- ^ "UAE to build new space research centre in Al Ain". 26 May 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
- ^ "Emirates Mars Mission: Hope spacecraft enters orbit". BBC News. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ SCHRECK, ASAM (25 May 2015). "United Arab Emirates aims for the stars with new plans for a national space agency". Associated Press. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
- ^ "United Arab Emirates plans to launch mission to moon in 2024". Los Angeles Times. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
- ^ "UAE sets new ambitious timetable for launch of moon rover". ABC News.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
- ^ "Status Update on ispace HAKUTO-R Mission 1 Lunar Lander". ispace. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
- ^ "Japan Spacecraft Believed to Have Crashed on Moon During Landing". Bloomberg.com. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
- ^ Haza, Ruba (13 March 2019). "Space tourism ready for lift off in Al Ain, says UAE Space Agency director". The National News. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
- ^ "Ambitious Emirati Mission Seeks to Visit 7 Asteroids and Land on the Big Red One". Gizmodo. 10 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ "United Arab Emirates and LASP announce new mission to explore the asteroid belt". Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. 6 October 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ Jones, Andrew (12 May 2023). "UAE's ambitious asteroid mission will tour 7 space rocks". Space.com. Retrieved 21 May 2023.