Under the patronage of the President of the UAE… the launch of the “Abu Dhabi Space Dialogue”

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, and in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Managing Director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, the second edition of the Abu Dhabi Space Dialogue 2024 was launched yesterday, in the presence of an elite of decision makers, and representatives of governments, industries, academia, and emerging space sector players from both the public and private sectors.

The Minister of Sports and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Space Agency, Dr. Ahmed Belhoul Al Falasi, and the Director General of the Emirates Space Agency, Salem Butti Al Qubaisi, delivered two opening speeches, during which they stressed the importance of the dialogue in highlighting the global impact of the space industry in innovation, cooperation and sustainable development.

Participating on the first day of the Abu Dhabi Space Dialogue were the Director General of the European Space Agency, Joseph Aschbacher, the Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Thales Alenia Space, Hervé Dery, the Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), Aarti Hula Maini, and the President of the Space Agency. Italian Teodoro Valenti, British Space Agency CEO Chris White-Horn, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency head Hiroshi Yamakawa.

These experts participated in substantive discussions, which addressed the need to join efforts to confront the main challenges in the sector, such as: enhancing environmental management in orbit, ensuring equitable access to space resources, and activating the pivotal role of partnerships between the public and private sectors in supporting the building of a sustainable and responsible space economy.

The first day of the Abu Dhabi Space Dialogue, which constitutes an important platform for leading the development of the space sector and achieving tangible results, witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Emirates Space Agency and the European Space Agency (ESA), to enhance cooperation in space exploration for peaceful purposes.

It also included organizing two workshops on achieving a balance between national security, responsible space practices, and space debris, which is considered one of the most prominent challenges in the sector.

On the first day, a dialogue session was held entitled “From Challenges to Solutions: How Space Technologies Contribute to Enhancing Global Security,” during which Salem Butti Al Qubaisi stressed the importance of international cooperation, and focused on the nature of the challenges facing the international community, which require a joint cooperative effort.

The prominent physicist and famous scientist, Brian Cox, gave a keynote presentation on black holes and their scientific mysteries, and the economic and scientific opportunities that can emerge from deepening our understanding of this phenomenon.

A dialogue session was also held with the participation of the Chief Development Officer of Redwire Space, Mike Gold, which touched on microgravity research, biotechnology and pharmaceutical technology and its revolutionary role in both fields.

A session entitled “From Earth to Orbit: A Platform for Achievement and Responsibility” was held, with the participation of the Director of SEELab,

Dr. Simonetta Di Beppo, who highlighted the growing impact of space technologies, stressing that orbital technologies and constellations provide tremendous added value for the benefit of humanity on Earth.

In a session entitled “Removing space debris: a market-based solution or international and governmental regulations?”, Director General of the European Space Agency, Dr. Joseph Aschbacher, highlighted the great danger posed by space debris.

He stressed the importance and role of the European Space Agency in leading efforts to remove satellites in a responsible manner, while stressing the need to adhere to the principles of deorbiting at the end of the operational life of satellites.

He also touched on the agency’s investments in developing effective debris removal technologies, making it a global model for sustainable space practices.