DUBAI, 29th August, 2018 (WAM) — H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre and the General Supervisor of its projects and plans, said the launch of KhalifaSat is an important step towards achieving the UAE’s space strategy.
Highlighting the efforts of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre team, he said their success stems from the trust placed on them by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
“We are proud of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, where a team made up entirely of young Emirati engineers have developed the first Emirati satellite, KhalifaSat,” the Crown Prince said. “This is an important milestone for our country, an achievement made possible because our leadership supports Emirati youth and encourages them to excel in the fields of innovation and technological development,” H.H. added.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) announced that 29th October 2018 is the official date of the launch of KhalifaSat, the first satellite to be developed 100% by Emirati engineers in the UAE, into orbit aboard the liquid-fuelled H-IIA rocket, from the Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan, in partnership with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). Aside from KhalifaSat, the UAE has two imaging satellites already in orbit: DubaiSat-1 and DubaiSat-2.
KhalifaSat is an iconic Emirati-engineered Earth observation satellite. The implementation phase began following the announcement of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, on the launch of the KhalifaSat project in December 2013. The sophisticated space machine was designed, tested, built and managed by Emirati engineers at the MBRSC’s Advanced Technology Laboratories, making it the first satellite to be developed in the MBRSC’s clean rooms.
Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, Director General of the MBRSC, said “KhalifaSat is a unique Earth observation satellite which aims to serve humanity. As His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said, “The development of KhalifaSat is not only a source of pride for Emiratis and Arabs, but also a global achievement that will benefit humanity and offer scientific solutions for development globally”.
We are proud that the satellite was fully manufactured in the UAE at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre’s (MBRSC) advanced space technology laboratories. This confirms that the strategy adopted by MBRSC to prepare and train Emirati scientists and engineers is successful, and we are on the right track to turn Dubai into a global hub for space technology,” continued Al Shaibani.
