
UAE team wins 'Most Inspirational' award at NASA Challenge
20 Mar 2025 20:48
DUBAI (WAM)The NASA Space Apps Challenge 2024 has announced its ten global winners, with the UAE team "INNOVISIONARIES" securing a major achievement by winning the 'Most Inspirational Team' award.The challenge saw 93,000 participants from 15 teams, with 10,000 innovative projects submitted from 163 countries. The UAE team triumphed after intense competition with global teams. The event was organised in partnership with Dubai University and technical partner SPACE.TAYAR.The team from Sharjah, the only UAE team to win, developed an educational plan to teach high school students about sustainable development goals, which could be included in scientific lessons on topics such as weather, geology, and soil health.The victorious teams will be honoured at a ceremony on June 4th at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, USA.Dr. Issa Al Bastaki, President of Dubai University, stressed the importance of such competitions in encouraging creativity and innovation. He highlighted the UAE's strong commitment to fostering innovation in line with its national strategy.
Tareq Salah Al-Din, CEO of GIE, noted that the NASA challenge plays a vital role in promoting innovation across all age groups and driving advancements in space technology. This year's challenge attracted 202 teams from various UAE regions, including Dubai, Sharjah, and Ajman.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Al Etihad
a day ago
- Al Etihad
UAE deepens strategic partnership with Germany in science, research, emerging technologies
18 June 2025 15:43 ABU DHABI (WAM) A UAE delegation led by Omran Sharaf, Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology, has concluded a successful visit to the Federal Republic of visit focused on strengthening bilateral relations in critical, emerging, and advanced technologies, while expanding strategic collaboration in science, innovation, and advanced mission began in Berlin with participation in GITEX Europe, followed by high-level bilateral meetings with representatives of the German held meetings in Berlin with Dr. Karsten Wildberger, Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and State Modernisation; Dr. Silke Launert, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Research, Technology, and Space; and Gitta Connemann, State Secretary and Government Commissioner for SMEs at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and delegation participated in a roundtable organised by NUMOV, one of Germany's largest organisations promoting economic development between Germany and MENA the delegation visited the Merantix AI Campus, and took part in a roundtable hosted by the Ghorfa Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Sharaf attended the TECH25 Conference in Heilbronn, where he participated in an interview by Handlesblatt and engaged with industry leaders and innovators on the future of advanced technologies. The delegation also held bilateral meetings with various government entities in visit included meetings with Danyal Bayaz, Minister of Finance, and Christoph Werner, CEO of dm-drogerie UAE delegation underscored the importance of international partnerships in fostering innovation, enhancing global technology security, and advancing collective progress in research and development. The delegation included Ahmed Alattar, UAE Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany; Rashid Al Teneiji, Director of Economic and Trade Affairs Department; and Nouf Al Hameli, Science and Advanced Technology Adviser, along with representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the EDGE Group.


Al Etihad
2 days ago
- Al Etihad
Sharjah Ruler chairs meeting on higher education strategy
17 June 2025 19:36 SHARJAH (WAM)His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, chaired the second meeting of the permanent executive committee of the Sharjah Higher Council for Higher Education and Scientific Research on Tuesday at the University Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi welcomed the committee members and emphasised the council's role in the coming years, following his directives to correct administrative concepts, improve university governance, and implement strategic committee discussed various topics and future plans, including the council's work report, organisational structure, strategy, subcommittees, academic staff promotion and evaluation criteria, as well as research and innovation committee also reviewed university admission conditions, the diversity of academic programmes, and main and specialised fields to ensure they meet labour market demands and students' Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi approved the preliminary budget for the remaining period of the year, amounting to Dh 18 million, alongside endorsing the council's new logo and headquarters at the University Highness directed the committee to oversee scholarship affairs in Sharjah's higher education institutions, adopting governance frameworks and coordinating between universities and scholarship providers—governmental, semi-governmental, and scholarship standards for postgraduate studies were approved, similar to those for bachelor's degrees. Sharjah students registered with the emirate and with a monthly income below Dh50,000 will receive full scholarships, while those with higher incomes will benefit from 50% fee scholarships will continue for groups such as children of imams and students with disabilities, funded by the Emiri Diwan. Universities and academies will offer special discounts to other categories like high achievers in academics, sports, research, and other fields. The meeting was attended by Dr Mansour bin Nasar, Head of the Sharjah Government Legal Department and committee rapporteur; Dr. Muhadditha Al Hashemi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Private Education Authority; Professor Hamid Majoul Al Nuaimi, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah and Director of Sharjah Academy for Space Sciences and Astronomy; and Dr Mohammed Yousuf Baniyas, Adviser for Higher Education at Sharjah Private Education Authority.


Arabian Post
2 days ago
- Arabian Post
Axiom 4 Grounded as ISS Air Leak Exposes Structural Limits
A minor yet persistent air leak inside the Zvezda service module of the International Space Station has led NASA to indefinitely postpone Axiom Mission 4, highlighting widening concerns over the station's ageing infrastructure and safety. Though currently stable, pressure readings in the affected segment continue to require close monitoring by NASA and Roscosmos, reinforcing questions over the ISS's longevity and future viability. The anomaly was detected in the transfer tunnel between Zvezda and the aft docking port. Cosmonauts aboard the ISS carried out targeted inspections and sealed several identified areas; current readings suggest pressure has stabilised, though further diagnostics are underway. NASA characterised the risk as manageable but deemed it prudent to delay the launch of Axiom 4, citing the need for additional evaluation before adding new crew members to the orbital complex. Axiom Mission 4 was expected to lift off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule, carrying a private four-person crew including veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson, Indian Air Force pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, and two ESA mission specialists. Shukla would have been the first member of India's astronaut corps to reach the ISS. The delay follows two earlier setbacks: one due to adverse weather, another linked to a propellant leak in the booster. ADVERTISEMENT Though there is no immediate threat to the seven crew members currently aboard, NASA's own Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel has flagged this as the ISS entering its 'riskiest period of its existence'. The station—first deployed in 1998—has experienced escalating leaks since 2019; the current air loss rate in Zvezda has increased from roughly one pound per day to about 3.7 pounds, according to a 2024 NASA inspector general report. Chinese activity has intensified scrutiny. Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, urged that the ISS be de-orbited within two years, citing the station's age and mounting operational challenges. He emphasised that although SpaceX continues to generate significant revenue from ISS operations, the structural deterioration in key segments like Zvezda warrants prompt retirement. Experts echo caution. Dr Sarath Raj, director at Amity University Dubai's satellite ground station, warned that these leaks are symptomatic of material fatigue, long-term exposure to micrometeoroids, and the stresses of more than a quarter-century in orbit. Restorative efforts—such as hatch closures, glue applications, and internal patches—have so far kept issues contained, but have not eliminated uncertainty. Despite these warning signs, NASA retains plans to sustain ISS operations until 2030 before transitioning research and crewed missions to commercially operated platforms like Axiom Space, Blue Origin, Sierra Nevada, Voyager and Vast. The agency is also accelerating development of a dedicated deorbit capability to ensure safe retirement of the billion-dollar station. Agencies are acting jointly: NASA and Roscosmos are collaborating on real-time monitoring and structural assessments while limiting access and performing on-board tests in the Russian segment. An upcoming meeting in Moscow is expected to intensify dialogue around investigative findings, risk mitigation strategies, and necessary repairs. With the pressure anomaly contained for now, attention shifts to rescheduling Axiom 4 and timing its launch to coincide with thorough safety sign‑off from both agencies. Meanwhile, the ISS safety review—focusing on leak sources, weld integrity, deorbit planning, and spare parts shortages—signals an urgent need to reconcile scientific ambition with the realities of ageing space hardware.