Today.. Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center launches the FI-1 satellite

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center announced on its official account on the “X” website that the Fay 1 satellite will be launched today from Vandenberg Air Force Base in the United States of America.

He said that the center developed this mission as part of the initiative to host satellite payloads in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, and through it provides an opportunity for countries and entities to test their innovations in space.

FI-1 represents a qualitative step in the UAE’s journey towards opening the way for countries and institutions to access space, and enhancing international cooperation in science and technology. The satellite was completely developed and assembled in Dubai, to reflect the UAE’s vision of investing in innovation and enabling international partners to effectively contribute to the field of space exploration.

A global platform for space research and innovation

FI-1 is a modular CubeSat 12U satellite, with a weight of up to 20 kilograms and an expected operational life of approximately one year, designed to enable international partners to test and evaluate new technologies in low Earth orbit.

Through this mission, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center contributes to providing a space environment that supports research, education and innovation, and enhances the development of capabilities in the fields of satellite engineering, data processing, and operating space missions in real time.

The satellite will host a group of innovative payloads that reflect the spirit of international cooperation, and include the “Aman” payload from the Bahrain Space Agency, which aims to test software for data encryption, in addition to a LoRa operating system for long-range wireless communications, from Antarikshya Pratishtan from Nepal. The “Fi-1” satellite will also include a payload from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, which is a video camera specialized in space photography, which will capture high-resolution images and video clips with the aim of providing the concerned authorities. With accurate monitoring data, supporting educational programs, and contributing to the testing and adoption of future technologies. In addition to the “Luna” payload from the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy and Space Sciences and Technology, which is an electronic circuit used to measure temperature and determine the direction of satellites.

Emirati development

FI-1 was developed entirely at the facilities of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center in Dubai, in cooperation with partners in the design, testing and mission preparation phases. The center provided full technical support for the integration and verification processes, to ensure that the operational objectives of each payload were achieved.

Once the satellite reaches low Earth orbit at an altitude of approximately 500 kilometers, it will begin sending data to the center’s control and monitoring station, to be analyzed and shared with participating parties in support of future research.

This mission embodies the UAE’s growing role in building a global space system based on cooperation and the exchange of knowledge and expertise, thus enhancing the use of space to serve humanity.