Dubai satellite to measure UAE dust levels after March 20 launch

DMSat-1 will send back vital data on the Emirates' environment

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  DMSat-1 will help create a database of air pollutant sources in the UAE, including levels of dust. Mbrsc

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  A Soyuz 2.1a rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Roscomos

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  The payload from the UAE includes an environment satellite, called DMSat-1. Mbrsc

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  The Soyuz 2.1a rocket is carrying 38 international payloads from 18 countries to space. Roscosmos

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  The Soyuz 2.1a rocket lifts off at 10.07am Gulf Standard Time. Roscosmos

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  The payload separation of 37 small satellites will take place four hours after lift off. Roscosmos

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  The weather conditions were rainy at the launch site, but conditions were suitable for a lift offR. Roscosmos

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  The launch of four Arab satellites was postponed to March 22, after a voltage strike in the upper stage of the Soyuz 2.1a rocket occurred. Glavkosmos

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  The initial launch attempt on March 20 was called off by Russian space agency Roscosmos. The rocket will carry 38 international payloads from 18 countries. Two small satellites are from Saudi Arabia, one from the UAE and one from Tunisia. Glavkosmos

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  DMSat-1 will monitor concentrations of greenhouses gases that contribute to climate change, such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour. Mbrsc

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  Dubai Municipality and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (Mbrsc) are overseeing the project. The Space Flight Laboratory in University of Toronto manufactured and built the 15-kilogram satellite. Mbrsc

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  The satellite’s main scientific instrument is the polarimeter imager, which will collect data. It will work at seven different angles with two different polarisations. Mbrsc

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  An engineer works on the satellite. Mbrsc

DMSat-1, Dubai's new environment satellite, will assess air pollution in the UAE – particularly dust levels – after it launches on Saturday.

The satellite will be carried into space by  a Russian Soyuz-2 rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10.07am local time.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre and Dubai Municipality are overseeing the project.

The 15-kilogram satellite was built by the University of Toronto's Space Flight Laboratory. Its findings will help create a database on pollution that will be sent to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

Sandstorms are common in the UAE and in other parts of the Middle East. Besides sand, they can contain silica crystals, bacteria, dust mites and viruses that can cause respiratory disorders and carry infectious diseases.

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  A cyclist in Dubai's Discovery Gardens covers his eyes during a sandstorm in July, 2020. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Traffic during the sandstorm in Discovery Gardens area in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Visibility was reduced for drivers on Tuesday afternoon. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Cloudy weather is forecast in the coming days. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Sandstorms are relatively common in the summer months. Pawan Singh / The National

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  The Dubai metro pictured on Tuesday. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Visibility was reduced to 20 metres or so at one stage, in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

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  The weather in Dubai. Antonie Robertson/The National

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  The weather in Dubai. Antonie Robertson/The National

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  Sandstorm weather in Dubai. Antonie Robertson/The National

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  Sandstorm weather in Dubai. Antonie Robertson/The National

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  The sandstorm at Sheih Zayed Bridge, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

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  The sandstorm at the downtown Abu Dhabi E10 area. Victor Besa / The National

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  Al Reem Island from downtown Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

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  The sandstorm at Twofour54, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

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  The sandstorm at the Abu Dhabi E10 Highway area. Victor Besa / The National

Alia Al Harmoudi, director of the environment department at Dubai Municipality, said dust is considered to be an air pollutant.

“The particular matter [dust] has an effect on health,” she said on Tuesday.

“It is one of the main areas we will try to utilise through the satellite to enhance health studies and measure how it is related to health.”

DMSat-1 will also monitor concentrations of greenhouses gases that contribute to climate change, such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour.

Ms Al Harmoudi said the findings would be submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

Adnan Al Rais, programme director for DMSat-1 at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, said the satellite's main scientific instrument is the polarimeter imager, which will capture scientific images of the atmosphere over the UAE, revealing air pollutants. It will work at seven different angles.

Secondary instruments include spectrometers which will help detect greenhouse gases.

“We expect that we'll take the first images in the first few days [after the launch] and that data will be provided to Dubai Municipality and to us for calibration and validation purposes,” he said.

Separation from the rocket is expected to take place four hours after lift-off and the first contact with ground control should take place at 3pm.

DMSat-1 will be placed at an orbit 730 kilometres above the Earth’s surface.

The satellite is one among a cluster of small payloads from 18 countries – including Saudi Arabia and Tunisia – that will be delivered into space on board the rocket.

UAE's Moon mission will study lunar dust - in pictures 

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  An artist's impression of the UAE's lunar rover called Rashid.

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  Dr Hamad Al Marzooqi, project manager of the Emirates Lunar Mission at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  An artist's impression of iSpace's Hakuto-Reboot lunar lander. It will carry UAE's Rashid rover to the surface of the Moon in 2022.

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  The UAE aims to land the Rashid rover on the near side of the Moon due to its smoother surface.

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  The far side of the Moon remains largely unexplored, but Nasa is turning its focus back to the lunar surface.

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  The HAKUTO-R lander, which will deliver the UAE's Rashid rover to the lunar surface in 2022, is now in final stages of assembly.

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  The ispace team completed the assembly of the lander's structure thermal model in April. Courtesy: ispace

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  The final assembly of the lander is being carried out in co-operation with the Ariane Group GmbH at the Ariane Group facility in Lampoldshausen, Germany. Courtesy: ispace

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  Using a lander and rocket that is already available helps Emirati engineers and scientists get quicker and easier access to space. Courtesy: ispace

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  The initial concept design of the Rashid rover. Courtesy: MBRSC

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  Rashid rover's thermal imager will analyse the Moon's properties through thermal energy. Courtesy: MBRSC

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  The Langmuir probes on the rover will analyse the lunar surface charge and electric fields. Courtesy: MBRSC

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  One of the rover's two high-resolution optical imagers that will take photos of the Moon. Courtesy: MBRSC