GST FORUM: UAE reveals plans for second DubaiSat launch

The United Arab Emirates plans to launch DubaiSat-2 in 2012, just three years after the launch of the first Emirati satellite to be sent into orbit, according to Ahmed Al Mansoori, director general of the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST).

Steve Young of SSTL shows a group of female students from EIAST how its micro satellites can navigate themselves by fixing on to known stars at its Global Space Technology Forum display .

Speaking to Arabian Aerospace at the Global Space Technology Forum (GSTF) in Abu Dhabi, he said that DubaiSat-1, which was launched from Baikonour in Kazakhstan on 29 July, is performing well and transmitting high-quality images of the region to its dedicated ground station in Dubai.

On display at the EIAST stand at GSTF were colour images from the 2.5-metre resolution satellite, including photographs of Fujairah in the UAE, the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi and the Eiffel Tower in France.

“The data from DubaiSat-1 is already being used in environmental research, including pollution and tracking sandstorms,” he said.

Sandstorms originating in the Sahara and crossing the Gulf are particularly problematic in the region as witnessed by the devastating sand storm which hit Riyadh in March of this year.

Mansoori also said that they were working with government departments on how best to use the satellite imagery and from 2010 they will look at how to commercialise the satellite's output.

“DubaiSat-1 inspires our children and acts like a magnet for Emiratis to stay in this country and study applied maths and science.

“Two graduate students are already using data from DubaiSat-1 as part of their masters degree studies and we are proud that DubaiSat-1 was an all Emirati project. We have almost finished the design of DubaiSat-2,” he said. “Next we will get into the build phase of the satellite. Our current plans are for launch in the last quarter of 2012.

“Everything we learn we will share and it will help pave the wave for the desing of DubaiSat-3 in due course.”

Around 20 female students from EIAST were at the first day of the forum to find out more about the space industry. They showed particular interest in the Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) display where they were shown how micro-satellites can orientate themselves using stars as navigational aids.