Sharjah mini-satellite designed to boost disaster-response efforts begins final tests for 2026 launch

Sharjah Sat-2 will beam back high-resolution images to support operations on Earth

Delegates from the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology have begun final tests on Sharjah Sat-2. Photo: Wam

A Sharjah-built satellite with a mission to boost the emirate's disaster and emergency response efforts is in final testing before its launch next year.

Sharjah Sat-2 - developed by the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology at the University of Sharjah - carries a multispectral imaging camera designed for Earth observation and the study of natural resources.

It is expected to support Sharjah's urban planning, natural resource management and emergency response work, as well as contributing to sustainable agriculture and coastal protection.

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A delegation from the academy visited Innovative Solutions in Space in the Netherlands – which specialises in miniature satellites known as CubeSat – to oversee work on the project.

This included final stages of assembly, integration, and testing, widely regarded as the most decisive phase before launch.

Engineers carried out functional and environmental tests, verified all subsystems were working, and examined power systems and safety modes.

Communication systems were also evaluated to ensure reliable command reception from the ground station and efficient data transmission, while flight software readiness was confirmed as part of launch preparation procedures.

The critical checks will ensure the satellite is primed and ready for lift-off in the first quarter of 2026.

During the visit to the Netherlands, the Sharjah team also viewed testing facilities such as the thermal vacuum chamber that simulates the extreme conditions of outer space, including high vacuum and severe temperature fluctuations.

Mechanical vibration systems were also reviewed, replicating the stresses during launch to verify structural integrity and stability.

Sharjah Sat-2 has been designed in the academy's CubeSat Laboratory in partnership with government departments, including Sharjah Municipality, the Department of Planning and Survey, and the Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority.

It marks a significant step forward for Sharjah and the UAE's flourishing space sector, following the launch of Sharjah Sat-1.

Sharjah Sat-1, which weighs less than 4kg, was carried by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that lifted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida in January, 2023

It had an expected lifespan of about three years during which it was to conduct scientific tasks such as studying the Sun, X-ray emissions and space weather during its mission in low-Earth orbit at an altitude of 550km.

Reaching for the stars

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre team with the Rashid Rover 2. Photo: Dubai Media Office

The satellite launch will be part of another significant year for the UAE as it takes major strides in the global space race.

The UAE's Rashid Rover 2 - which is scheduled to travel to the Moon in 2026 - passed performance checks in the US.

The rover completed deployment and drive-off tests in collaboration with Firefly Aerospace, the company that will carry it into space aboard its Blue Ghost Mission 2.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre said last month that the vehicle would be sent to the US after a comprehensive series of environmental and functional tests were conducted in the Emirates.

It was confirmed this year by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, that the UAE would attempt to become only the second nation to land on the far side of the Moon.