ABU DHABI // The UAE took a giant step closer on Wednesday to sending its first astronaut into space when it became the first country from the region to join the International Space Exploration Coordination Group.
The group consists of 14 space agencies, including Nasa and the European Space Agency, and Abdul Ismail, chief executive of Interplanetary Expeditions in the UK, asked: “Does this mean they’re planning on selecting an Emirati national to fly to the International Space Station or perhaps the proposed Chinese Tiangong space station scheduled for launch in 2020?”
Mr Ismail added: “I thought they’d stop surprising me with the announcement of an interplanetary probe to Mars – but if I’m reading between the lines correctly, then this would be a bold next step.
“This to me is a really exciting development because it may give an indication of the agency’s future intentions.”
The new membership is seen as a platform to deliver the UAE’s message while highlighting its programme and its capabilities in space exploration.
Dr Khalifa Al Rumaithi, the UAE Space Agency’s chairman said: “The membership supports the UAE’s Mars mission. It will help in achieving the mission’s research on changes to the Martian atmosphere and weather.”
“This will be done through cooperation with other agencies and through members sharing experiences, best practices and the latest space technology that will benefit the whole world,” said Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, the agency’s director general.
Dr Saeed Al Dhaheri who in 1988 was the first Emirati to graduate from the International Space University at MIT, said the move showed the UAE’s commitment to developing its workforce and human capabilities in space. “The new projects which will be implemented by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre will definitely need to build capabilities for the Mars mission and I think the UAE has made some progress along these lines by co-operating with universities on space exploration.”
“There are other universities like the Masdar Institute for Science and Technology which will offer a masters programme with Yahsat, in conjunction with Orbital ATK, in satellite applications and students will be responsible to design a CubeSat. So I think the UAE has started to build its capabilities through professional programmes for Emiratis.”
He said space exploration required collaboration with other countries on technology and knowledge transfer. “We will need about 150 engineers and scientists by 2020 to work on that mission but I think we are progressing in a good shape.”
cmalek@thenational.ae
