UAE earmarks 820 mln USD to build "highly accurate" satellites network

[Philip the Arab]

DUBAI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Space Agency announced on Sunday that the country has set up a 3-billion-UAE dirham (820 million U.S. dollars) fund to build "a network of highly accurate radar satellites" and support its space programs.

The six-year satellite development program "will see the first satellite launch in three years," said a statement by the UAE Space Agency.

"The establishment of a dedicated fund to support the UAE's burgeoning space program and the launch of a new initiative to develop radar satellites are expected to expand our growing capabilities in this vital sector while accelerating innovation in environmental sustainability," UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan tweeted.

"The new project aims to develop the UAE's competitive edge in the space sector and preserve the environment from climate change," he added.

The fund will be used to support the development of Sirb (Arabic for a flock of birds) satellites, which will use radar technology to provide advanced imaging capabilities.

Sirb satellites could send data and imagery "with an accuracy of one meter by day and night," tweeted Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE's vice president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai.

Sirb satellites will be built through a number of partnerships between the UAE and international companies, according to the UAE Space Agency. ■

 

[Corruptistan]

DUBAI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Space Agency announced on Sunday that the country has set up a 3-billion-UAE dirham (820 million U.S. dollars) fund to build "a network of highly accurate radar satellites" and support its space programs.

The six-year satellite development program "will see the first satellite launch in three years," said a statement by the UAE Space Agency.

"The establishment of a dedicated fund to support the UAE's burgeoning space program and the launch of a new initiative to develop radar satellites are expected to expand our growing capabilities in this vital sector while accelerating innovation in environmental sustainability," UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan tweeted.

"The new project aims to develop the UAE's competitive edge in the space sector and preserve the environment from climate change," he added.

The fund will be used to support the development of Sirb (Arabic for a flock of birds) satellites, which will use radar technology to provide advanced imaging capabilities.

Sirb satellites could send data and imagery "with an accuracy of one meter by day and night," tweeted Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE's vice president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai.

Sirb satellites will be built through a number of partnerships between the UAE and international companies, according to the UAE Space Agency. ■

There should be a pan-Arab space program under which each existing Arab national space program could join. Under this pan-Arab space program, mostly funded by the strongest Arab economies (GCC mainly but not only) you would have a talent pool of at least 450 million citizens in the Arab League plus the large Arab diaspora across the world. With growing populations in the Arab world this number will only increase. Now think about how much talent is wasted due to internal or external factors each year from such a large population. What is going on right now is a massive waste of talent.

While at it develop entire universities or faculties purely dedicated to aeronautics, engineering, astronomy, physics and sciences related to space research and exploration.

Such an Arab space program could naturally join hands with space programs across the Muslim and developing world aside from establishing ties with both the West and East.

While UAE’s space ambitions are praiseworthy and impressive on its own, a native population of 1.5-2 million people has very obvious and crucial limitations.

Anyway what happened with this news from a few years ago?

Saudi Arabia, 10 Arab Countries to Cooperate on Space Program​

Tuesday, 19 March, 2019 - 18:30

Saudi Arabia, 10 Arab Countries to Cooperate on Space Program

Eleven Arab states including Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Morocco on Tuesday signed on to the first regional team to cooperate on a space program, the UAE said. "Today at the Global Space Congress in Abu Dhabi, we attended the signing of a charter to establish the first Arab body for space...

english.aawsat.com

 

[murugan]

Mandatory step for hop on to the greater premises of the information age.