The UAE space sector is set to make strides in 2025, with major missions and technological advancements set to enhance its standing on the global stage.
From the much-anticipated launch of MBZ-Sat to progress on its second lunar rover and private sector growth, the year is expected to be transformative for the nation’s burgeoning space industry.
Launch of MBZ-Sat satellite
The 700kg MBZ-Sat, the region’s most advanced Earth observation satellite, is expected to lift off in early 2025 aboard a SpaceX rocket. Officials from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) announced that a launch is scheduled for January.
It has been in development by Emirati engineers at the MBRSC since 2020, with the majority of the satellite parts manufactured by private companies, in efforts to help boost the local industry.
Amar Vora, head of space at Serco Middle East, a company that provides services and consultancy to the public and private sector, said that the satellite will provide the highest resolution imagery in the region, surpassing its predecessor KhalifaSat in capability.
“This will unlock new and improved civilian applications across the UAE and beyond, helping to better manage infrastructure, monitor the environment and support disaster relief, among a range of other uses,” Mr Vora told The National.
In addition to MBZ-Sat, progress is anticipated on the Sirb programme, a constellation of highly accurate radar satellites by the UAE Space Agency.
In September, the agency contracted Fada, a company under the UAE defence conglomerate Edge, to develop the satellites. “This is demonstrating the importance of building up the local space ecosystem and relevant capabilities in-country,” said Mr Vora.
Partners of the Emirates Airlock
The UAE’s involvement in Nasa’s Gateway project, a lunar-orbiting station, is set to expand next year with the announcement of suppliers for the Emirates Airlock expected soon.
Development of the airlock module, designed to facilitate crew and cargo transfers to and from the lunar station, is being overseen by the MBRSC. In exchange, the UAE will send an Emirati astronaut to the Gateway in future.
The National reported exclusively in December that the space centre was fielding bids from leading organisations, including a publicly listed US aerospace manufacturing and space infrastructure technology company, and a French aerospace manufacturer, as the Gateway lunar station project gathers pace.
“We are finalising our process in terms of the selection of the partners,” Adnan Al Rais, assistant director general at the MBRSC, said. “We will work with partners to develop the Airlock module and are preparing it for launch, hopefully, by the 2030 time frame.”
Progress on lunar rover Rashid 2
Emirati engineers at the MBRSC are also busy developing Rashid 2, the country’s second lunar rover, with a lander to carry it to the surface already selected and to be announced soon, according to a senior space centre official.
The first Rashid rover failed to land softly on the lunar surface, after the Japanese lander carrying it crashed.
“We've already started working on the second rover and we're good in terms of schedule,” Amer Al Sayegh, senior director of the space engineering department, told The National in October. “In the current decision, we've taken into consideration which company has done it before and has already got experience. Our target is to reach the surface of the Moon and we'll do it, from our perspective, the most successful, safest way.”
MBR Explorer spacecraft
The UAE Space Agency is overseeing a mission to the main asteroid belt, in which the MBR Explorer spacecraft will journey to seven asteroids and attempt a landing on the last one. On the way there, it will also swing by Venus and could also possibly take images of the hot planet.
In 2025, the blueprint of the 2,300kg craft is expected to receive its final approval, called the critical design review. Engineers can then start developing the spacecraft, with a launch expected in 2028.
The agency is working with the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (Lasp) at the University of Colorado Boulder again for this mission, as they did previously for its mission to Mars.
Private space sector boost
This coming year is expected to be a defining year for the UAE’s private space sector, with new entrants and investments reshaping the landscape.
Anna Hazlett, founder of AzurX, a UAE-based private advisory and investment firm specialising in the space sector, said there was growing interest from both regional and international investors.
“The entry of new private sector players, increased venture capital, and international partnerships will be crucial in shaping the ecosystem,” she told The National. “Additionally, we anticipate a growing interest from regional VC (venture capitalists) and private capital in investing in the global space sector, reflecting the UAE's commitment to becoming a key player in this dynamic industry.”
In December, the US Chamber of Commerce organised a visit to the UAE for a delegation of 20 US companies to explore partnerships with Emirati organisations and government bodies working in the space sector. Ms Hazlett said she also expects a trend of technology localisation to take place in the coming year.
“There will be a strong push towards capacity building and localised manufacturing of space technologies,” she said. “At AzurX, we’ve observed a significant appetite for fostering home-grown innovation, particularly as the UAE aims to broaden its sovereign capabilities in this domain.”
UAE's astronaut programme
In 2023, astronaut Dr Sultan Al Neyadi, now the Minister of Youth, launched to the International Space Station for a six-month mission and carried out the first spacewalk by an Arab. The MBRSC partnered with the US to make this mission possible.
He was the second Emirati in space, after his colleague Hazza Al Mansouri blasted off to the station in 2019 for an eight-day trip aboard a Russian rocket.
There are two other members in the UAE's astronaut corps who are yet to fly, including Nora Al Matrooshi and Mohammed Al Mulla.
No deals on a new flight for an Emirati astronaut have been announced so far that indicate a mission will take place next year.
The ISS is nearing retirement at the end of this decade, but there are still at least two more private missions to the station expected to take place before the station is brought down to the ocean.
MBRSC, which oversees the astronaut programme, would also have the option of commercial space stations in future if it wants to keep an Emirati presence in low-Earth orbit.
