The UAE in space/ successive achievements and a vision that leads the world towards a prosperous future

Abu Dhabi, April 11 / WAM / In 2026, the UAE will continue to lead the global space sector scene through a series of achievements and initiatives that embody its vision of making space a vital station for developing human knowledge based on the efforts and efforts of its qualified national cadres and its youth, who do not know the impossible.

Tomorrow, the UAE will join the world in celebrating the anniversary of the first human flight into space, which this year coincides with the country’s adoption of the National Strategy for the Space Sector 2031, to be an extension of the previous strategy and efforts, and a new step towards achieving the country’s future aspirations in enhancing the space sector’s contribution to economic growth.

The strategy is based on three main goals: making the space system in the UAE the most flexible and attractive for investment, achieving global leadership in space partnerships and access to markets, in addition to developing space infrastructure and facilities with competitive standards.

The most prominent goals of the strategy included doubling the revenues of the space economy, making the UAE among the 10 strongest global space economies by 2031, raising the economic added value of the space sector, doubling the number of national companies operating in it, doubling the number of countries that receive the UAE’s exports in this field, in addition to doubling investments in assets and infrastructure facilities for the space sector, and doubling the number of emerging companies operating in the field that have taken the UAE as their headquarters.

This comes in light of the impressive results achieved by the previous strategy for the space sector in the country. The UAE has succeeded in developing advanced local capabilities in research, development and manufacturing in space technology, launching inspiring scientific and exploratory space missions, strengthening effective local and global partnerships and investments in the space industry, developing 30 satellites, and bringing the number of institutions operating in the space economy in the country to more than 170 institutions.

The UAE began this year by announcing the extension of the Mars exploration mission, the “Hope Probe,” for an additional 3 years, in light of the successes achieved by the mission since its launch, and the probe’s scientific equipment continuing to work with high efficiency until today, enabling it to continue collecting accurate data about the atmosphere and climate phenomena of Mars.

The mission extension will provide valuable scientific data and operational and field experience for current and future deep space missions, while continuing to provide unique information about the Martian atmosphere.

Since its launch, the UAE’s mission to explore Mars, the Hope Probe, has achieved a series of pioneering scientific achievements. It released more than 10 terabytes of scientific data to the public, and published about 16 batches of public data to be available to researchers, students, and the international scientific community over the five years of the probe’s presence in Mars orbit, in addition to the research team publishing more than 35 peer-reviewed scientific papers in prestigious international journals.

Last January, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center issued a new set of high-resolution images captured by the “Mohammed bin Zayed Sat” satellite, on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of its launch, in a step that reflects the advanced capabilities of the satellite and its growing role in supporting the UAE’s march in the space sector.

Last March, the UAE witnessed the issuance of an Emiri decree regarding the establishment of the Sharjah Space and Astronomy Complex, and the cube satellite “SharjahSat 2” was launched, which aims to provide high-resolution images and spectral data, and provide participating entities with the necessary data to enhance their research and practical activities through the accurate information it will provide, support their future strategic plans, and enhance strategic planning for future projects in the Emirate of Sharjah.

On the research front, an international research team, led by Panchi Naumov, Professor of Chemistry at New York University Abu Dhabi, and in cooperation with a research team led by Professor Hongyu Zhang, at Jilin University in China, developed a new type of organic crystals capable of self-repair after exposure to damage, even at very low temperatures.

The discovery represents an important step towards developing light and durable materials that can be used in harsh environments, such as outer space, the deep sea, and the polar regions.

In the same context, the National Space Academy, affiliated with the Emirates Space Agency, announced the launch of the “Space Hackathon for Arab Youth” program in its first session, “Challenge 813 for Earth Observation Applications and Hyperspectral Data.” The hackathon represents an innovative, creative platform that brings together young talents and gives them the opportunity to interact, learn, and have practical application in the space sector.

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