The UAE, in particular, Dubai, has created an innovative platform for itself over the past couple of decades. The Space Research Centre, projected to be built, aims to send an unmanned operation to Mars in the year 2021. This will be the first ever of such a mission from the Middle East.
It has been announced that UAE will establish a new space research centre worth AED 100 million in order to meet its goal of sending the first unmanned mission to Mars from the Arab World. This centre will be situated in Al Ain and is set to open by next year.
This announcement commenced with the launching of the UAE Space Agency’s new proposal in Abu Dhabi. The plan contains four different goals, which are: a) to endorse continued scientific innovation and research, b) to invite citizens to a future as space scientists, c) to build a national space segment that helps form a varied economy, and d) to build international partnership and mutual understanding.
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is the UAE’s Vice President, Prime Minister, and Dubai’s ruler, was reported to have said that the establishment of a complete, full-on space sector within the UAE, including all the required infrastructure, scientific research, and man power, will be a national goal. This goal will require everyone working on it to work as a team in order to bring about the best possible scientific services.
President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan established the UAE Space Agency back in July of 2014. UAE publicized plans to send an investigation to Mars by 2021 on that same month. Termed ‘Hope Probe’, this will be created by a team of Emirati scientists and engineers in collaboration with research and scientific centres from around the globe. The excursion will extend more than 60 million kilometers and take nine months to complete.
Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, Khalifa Mohammed Al Rumaithi, was reported to have said that the UAE’s concentration on space was no longer just a fantasy. He stated how this long-term plan will help create a strong foundation grounded on knowledge and science, which in turn, will lead to new innovations, discoveries, help bring about growth to the economy, and confirm the UAE’s standing as an international competitor in the pioneering area.
Satellite TV broadcasts, mobile services, different communication sectors, and industries are all pitching in to represent this investment.
With the value of the investment into this space mission exceeding AED 20 billion, all of the noted excitement is of no surprise.