• FILE PHOTO: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off, carrying 53 Starlink internet satellites, from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U. S. May 18, 2022. REUTERS / Joe Skipper / File Photo
    FILE PHOTO: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off, carrying 53 Starlink internet satellites, from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U. S. May 18, 2022. REUTERS / Joe Skipper / File Photo
  • The modular satellite, known as a CubeSat, will study the Sun and space weather
    The modular satellite, known as a CubeSat, will study the Sun and space weather
  • The team of Emirati engineers responsible for Sharjah Sat 1
    The team of Emirati engineers responsible for Sharjah Sat 1
  • Emirati engineers watch the satellite's launch
    Emirati engineers watch the satellite's launch
  • The launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photo: Wam
    The launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photo: Wam
  • Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, at the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology for the launch. Photo: Wam
    Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, at the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology for the launch. Photo: Wam

Sharjah Sat 1: First signal received from emirate's first satellite


Sarwat Nasir
  • English
  • Arabic

Emirati engineers received the first signal from Sharjah’s first satellite on Tuesday.

The Sharjah Sat 1 nanosatellite was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on January 3 to study the Sun and space weather.

It has been placed in low-Earth orbit at an altitude of 550km and is equipped with sensors, cameras and communication devices to carry out its mission.

The Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology (SAASST) of the University of Sharjah is overseeing the project and received the first signal.

“The project engineers at SAASST were prepared to receive the first communication signal from the CubeSat after it reached its orbit around Earth,” the university said in a statement.

“The signal demonstrates the state of the satellite and its readiness to perform its mission after a successful deployment from the main spacecraft.”

The Sharjah-Sat-1 is a CubeSat, a modular satellite, that will study the Sun and space weather.
The Sharjah-Sat-1 is a CubeSat, a modular satellite, that will study the Sun and space weather.

More signals are expected that will help to measure the satellite’s health.

Nanosatellites are miniature satellites developed quickly and at a low cost compared with standard ones.

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, said after the launch that he was proud of the Emirati engineers who worked on the satellite.

"We start our year by reaching space and we commend the efforts of the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Science and Technology and we are proud of the Emirati cadres of engineers and researchers who worked on the completion of Sharjah Sat 1," he said.

SpaceX offers rideshare missions that make it possible for space agencies, companies, students and researchers to send several payloads on one rocket.

Many Arab countries are taking advantage of these low launch costs, allowing them to develop their space programmes.

In the past five years, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan have launched satellites. Oman also built its first satellite but it was destroyed during a Virgin Orbit launch attempt this month.

Arabic names of UAE’s space missions and what they mean - in pictures

  • A rendering of a planned satellite as part of the Sirb radar satellite constellation. Sirb translates to flock of birds. Photo: UAE Government Media Office
    A rendering of a planned satellite as part of the Sirb radar satellite constellation. Sirb translates to flock of birds. Photo: UAE Government Media Office
  • The Al Amal, or Hope, probe reached Mars orbit on February 9, 2021. Dubai Media Office Twitter account
    The Al Amal, or Hope, probe reached Mars orbit on February 9, 2021. Dubai Media Office Twitter account
  • Hope probe’s first image of Mars. Emirates Mars Mission/EXI 2021
    Hope probe’s first image of Mars. Emirates Mars Mission/EXI 2021
  • The communication nanosatellite, Nayif-1, developed by students from the American University of Sharjah and engineers at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Photo: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre
    The communication nanosatellite, Nayif-1, developed by students from the American University of Sharjah and engineers at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Photo: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre
  • Fatma Loota, Deputy project manager of Nayif-1 at the MBRSC who is holding a model of the nanosatellite Nayif-1 in 2015. Photo: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre
    Fatma Loota, Deputy project manager of Nayif-1 at the MBRSC who is holding a model of the nanosatellite Nayif-1 in 2015. Photo: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre
  • Engineers pose for a photograph with a model of KhalifaSat - the first satellite built entirely by Emirati engineers. The satellite was named after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, Late President of the UAE. Wam
    Engineers pose for a photograph with a model of KhalifaSat - the first satellite built entirely by Emirati engineers. The satellite was named after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, Late President of the UAE. Wam
  • KhalifaSat, the UAE's first domestically built satellite, captured the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi in 2021. Photo: KhalifaSat / Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre
    KhalifaSat, the UAE's first domestically built satellite, captured the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi in 2021. Photo: KhalifaSat / Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre
  • The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre is building the MBZSat, expected to be the region's most powerful imaging satellite. It is named after the UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. Dubai Media Office
    The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre is building the MBZSat, expected to be the region's most powerful imaging satellite. It is named after the UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. Dubai Media Office
  • An MBRSC engineer works on the MBZSat. Photo: Dubai Media Office
    An MBRSC engineer works on the MBZSat. Photo: Dubai Media Office
BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

Ant-Man%20and%20the%20Wasp%3A%20Quantumania
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPeyton%20Reed%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Paul%20Rudd%2C%20Evangeline%20Lilly%2C%20Jonathan%20Majors%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
European arms

Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons.  Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.

Biog

Age: 50

Known as the UAE’s strongest man

Favourite dish: “Everything and sea food”

Hobbies: Drawing, basketball and poetry

Favourite car: Any classic car

Favourite superhero: The Hulk original

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Fines for littering

In Dubai:

Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro

Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle. 
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle

In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches 

The Vile

Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah

Director: Majid Al Ansari

Rating: 4/5

The Voice of Hind Rajab

Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

Rating: 4/5

Updated: January 18, 2023, 11:04 AM