The Director General of the Emirates Space Agency, Dr. Eng. Mohammed Nasser Al-Ahbabi, revealed that the procedures for selecting Arab engineers and scientists who will participate in the equipment of the “318” satellite project, which the UAE will give to the Arab world, to be the first joint Arab space project, have been initiated. The moon will be ready for launch by 2024.
He stressed that the mission of the "Probe of Hope", which is currently on its path towards Mars, will focus on providing answers to scientific questions that have been coordinated with many global bodies, most notably related to the search for water sources on the Red Planet, by trying to monitor water-related molecules and gases in The atmosphere of Mars, to clarify the possibility of life on this planet, noting that the Emirates aspire to contribute to the transfer of humans to Mars by the year 2117.
In detail, the Director General of the Emirates Space Agency, Dr. Eng. Mohammed Nasser Al-Ahbabi, emphasized that the UAE space sector is the largest in the Gulf and Middle East region, by having five national centers for space research and development, three space operators, and a cadre of employees exceeding 3000 employees, in addition to the presence of three Universities, including specializations in space science.
In a video broadcast by the Emirates Space Agency on its official account on Twitter, Al-Ahbabi said that the details of his recent lecture “remotely” of the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, that there are more than 50 companies related to space science operating from within the state, pointing to The UAE has 18 satellites, including 10 launched satellites, and another eight under manufacturing.
Al-Ahbabi talked about the future of the UAE space sector, especially in the post-launch of the "Probe of Hope", where he confirmed that concrete steps have been taken to equip the satellite project "318", which the UAE will dedicate to the Arab world, to be the first joint Arab space project, He pointed out that the National Center for Space Science and Technology at the UAE University has started the procedures for selecting Arab engineers and scientists who will participate in the project team.
He said: «This project will be the best nucleus for establishing a joint Arab space satellite, as the UAE will provide all means of support and capabilities to accomplish it, during the coming period, in preparation for its launch during the year 2024».
Al-Ahbabi pointed out that the UAE saw the need to generalize its experience and the experiences it gained in the space sector, since the establishment of the Emirates Space Agency, to benefit from the Arab countries, especially since the UAE has scientific and knowledge programs and national cadres, in addition to experience in joining international treaties and agreements, and creating policies Space legislation, and other efforts that have succeeded in establishing the national space sector.
He added: "The state aspires to include space cooperation in all Arab countries, and that all countries that have the ability to invest, build and develop, in order to find integrated space programs, benefit from each other's experiences, and contribute to supporting scientific capabilities and different bodies with the required data and information."
Al-Ahbabi touched on the talk about the “Mars 2117” project, as he indicated that it includes a national program to prepare Emirati specialized research scientific cadres in the field of exploring the Red Planet, and aims in its final stages to build the first human settlement on Mars in 100 years, explaining that all the information received from The Red Planet, affirms that it is the best and suitable candidate to establish a human life parallel to the life on planet earth.
He added: «This project includes setting an integrated scientific vision for the first human settlement on the Red Planet that constitutes a small city and how life will progress on it, as the project begins with a scientific team of national cadres, and it expands during the coming period to include international scientists and researchers, and coordinate human research efforts in the field of exploration And the settlement of the Red Planet, so that the Emirates can contribute to transporting humans to Mars by the year 2117. ”
He pointed out that this new project is a "seed" planted by the leadership of the state, currently, to reap the fruits of future generations, who are led by a passion for science to reach people to new knowledge borders, considering that the project "Mars 2117" is a long-term project.
Mars is very similar to Earth
The Director General of the Emirates Space Agency, Dr. Eng. Mohammed Nasser Al-Ahbabi said: «Although Venus is the closest to Earth in terms of distance, it is very hot, and its atmosphere is saturated with carbon dioxide, and emissions of toxic gases are rising from it, making life impossible for it to remain a planet Mars is very similar to the Earth, and then the mission (Probe of Hope) is working on undertaking unprecedented studies on the atmosphere, the nature of the climate of this planet, and providing answers to scientific questions that have been coordinated with many global bodies, most notably related to the search for water sources on the Red Planet , By trying to monitor water-related molecules and gases in Mars' atmosphere, to clarify the possibility of life on this planet.
- The UAE has 18 satellites ... Among them, 10 have been launched, and eight are under manufacturing.
“Mars 2117” includes a program to prepare Emirati scientific research cadres to explore Mars.