Latest news with #HazzaAlMansouri
Arabian Business
21-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
EXCLUSIVE: UAE to deliver Lunar Gateway Airlock, astronaut to join Artemis Mission by 2030
The United Arab Emirates will provide the airlock module for NASA's Lunar Gateway – a Moon-orbiting space station central to future Artemis missions – and send an Emirati astronaut to join the mission in 2030. Speaking to Arabian Business on the sidelines of the inaugural GITEX EUROPE in Berlin, Hazza Al Mansouri, the UAE's first astronaut, said that the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) will develop the Gateway's Crew and Science Airlock in collaboration with NASA – the country's most significant hardware contribution to space exploration to date. 'We are part of the Gateway programme. With our partnership with NASA and the international partners, we're going to build the airlock,' said Al Mansouri. 'The UAE will deliver the airlock to NASA in 2030, and at that time, we expect to launch an astronaut as part of that mission.' The Lunar Gateway is a small, crewed space station that will orbit the Moon and support long-term lunar exploration under NASA's Artemis programme. It will act as a staging point for astronauts travelling to and from the lunar surface and, in the future, possibly Mars. The airlock will be a crucial component, enabling astronauts to conduct spacewalks and science experiments outside the station. The UAE's contribution was formalised in last year through a landmark deal between the UAE Space Agency and NASA. The pact also grants a future Emirati astronaut a seat on an Artemis mission – a first for any Arab nation. Nora Al Matrooshi, the first Arab woman selected as an astronaut, also emphasised the increasing scope of the UAE's space ambitions during GITEX EUROPE. 'Whether it's a mission to the ISS, the Moon, or Mars, the UAE astronauts are being trained and will be ready,' she told Arabian Business. Both astronauts highlighted how MBRSC is increasingly deploying artificial intelligence to analyse satellite imagery – supporting everything from urban planning and agriculture to disaster response in regions around the world. Their presence in Berlin underscores the growing global footprint of the UAE's space and tech sectors. GITEX, Dubai's flagship technology exhibition, has now launched its European edition after expansions into Africa and Asia. 'Taking GITEX all around the world makes it easier to reach more people,' said Al Matrooshi. 'The UAE is the future. [It] is the hub for AI – and now, our impact is going global.'
Arabian Business
21-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
UAE astronauts reveal ambitious space plans at GITEX EUROPE
UAE astronauts Hazza Al Mansouri and Nora Al Matrooshi outlined the Emirates' expanding space ambitions on the sidelines of the inaugural GITEX Europe in Berlin, highlighting the nation's progress in satellite development, human spaceflight, and space-related artificial intelligence applications. Speaking to Arabian Business on Wednesday at Messe Berlin, where the first European edition of the Dubai-born technology exhibition is being held from May 21-23, the astronauts detailed how the UAE is positioning itself as both a regional and global player in space exploration and technology. UAE's expanding space capabilities 'In the UAE, we are now focusing on developing our in-house capabilities in terms of satellite development,' said Al Mansouri, who made history in 2019 as the first Emirati in space. 'We are already reaching a point where we are developing our own satellites in-house in the UAE, with Emirati engineers involved in the whole process.' Al Mansouri highlighted the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre's (MBRSC) latest satellite, where more than 90 per cent of components were built and provided by the UAE's domestic industry, spanning mechanical and electronic elements. The UAE's human spaceflight programme, established in 2017, has rapidly evolved from its first short-duration mission to more ambitious long-term goals. Following Sultan Al Neyadi's six-month mission to the International Space Station in 2023, the nation is preparing for future ventures with a sustainable approach. 'Our space programme, new space flight is a sustainable one. We are looking at really four to five years to launch an astronaut to space and different various missions,' Al Mansouri explained. A cornerstone of the UAE's space strategy is its participation in NASA's Lunar Gateway project, where the Emirates will provide a critical airlock component. 'With that partnership, with NASA and the international partners, we are going to be building the Gateway, part of Gateway, which is the airlock,' said Al Mansouri. 'The UAE is going to provide to NASA the airlock at 2030 and at that time we can launch also an astronaut with that mission.' Al Matrooshi, who in 2021 became the first female Arab astronaut, highlighted the programme's readiness approach. 'The space missions are usually decided on by our leadership. So it's not my choice on what the mission is or when it's going to be, but the goal is to be ready for each and every mission,' she told Arabian Business. 'If it's a mission to the ISS, if it's a mission to the moon, if it's a mission to Mars, the UAE astronauts will be ready for that. We are training continuously with our international partners,' Al Matrooshi added. AI revolutionises space exploration Both astronauts highlighted the growing importance of artificial intelligence in space exploration. The MBRSC is already implementing AI for analysing satellite data to aid urban planning, agriculture, and global disaster management. 'We are focusing on implementing AI with the data analysis and photos and pictures that we are taking from our satellites, and how we can help people on ground, not only in the UAE or the region, but the whole globe,' Al Mansouri said. He cited a project where AI helped count approximately four million trees in the UAE's Al Ain city to inform planning decisions. The centre has also provided satellite imagery to assist with international disaster responses, including the earthquake in Japan and flooding in Libya in recent years. Looking forward, Al Matrooshi identified lunar exploration as the next frontier for AI applications in space. 'Everyone is looking towards the moon. So I think utilising AI, for example, to select locations where humans can land on the moon, where we can start to build our permanent settlements on the moon, and then start doing the same to Mars as well.' The astronauts' presence at GITEX Europe underscores the UAE's strategy of expanding its technological footprint globally. The Dubai-born exhibition has previously launched editions in Africa and Asia before making its European debut this year. 'Taking GITEX all around the world makes it easier to reach more people, and that's what the UAE is going to be doing,' Al Matrooshi noted. 'The amount of information or collaboration that you get when you visit these types of events… it's very important to make sure that you have a presence in these types of events.' Al Mansouri echoed this sentiment, viewing the expansion as evidence of the UAE's growing technological leadership. 'That showcases that the UAE is a leading partner, also a leading entity in that sector, technology itself and AI,' he said. 'We are leading so many countries in the region, and being here in Europe, it's a proof of that… UAE is the future, UAE is the hub for AI, and definitely our impact gonna be huge in the region, and now, global.' The strong UAE presence at GITEX Europe, particularly from public sector entities, reflects the nation's coordinated push to establish itself as a key player in the global technology ecosystem while advancing its space programme as part of a broader economic diversification strategy.
What's On
30-01-2025
- Science
- What's On
8 UAE space based mega projects that will change the world
Get in friends, we're headed for the stars… You can tell a lot about the maturation of a country by looking at its ambitions – and involvement in projects – of space travel. When the sky is no longer the limit, everything is possible, fronties unfold across new dimensions. And whilst these upcoming projects aren't the UAE's first space rodeo, the not-too-distant future holds even more exciting voyages, where the country seeks to boldly go, where no human has gone before. 3 of 12 To the moon Kicking things off with 'a giant leap' for the UAE's space story – the UAE should, by the end of the year, have completed work on a 100 per cent Emirati-made lunar rover and sent it all the way to the moon. This lunar mission will include a direct research component as well as an opportunity to test space tech and stand as a sort of a dry run for a manned mission to Mars. Artemis now Back in January of 2024, we had the announcement that the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center would be working with NASA to build an airlock for Gateway – the first lunar orbit space station and key component of the Artemis Program (an international cooperation between space-forward nations). One giant leap for womankind Following in the hallowed space boot footprints of Emirati astronauts Hazza Al Mansouri (International Space Station (ISS) crew member) and Dr. Sultan Al Neyadi (who took a Space X trip to the ISS), the esteemed engineer and NASA Astronaut programme graduate, Nora AlMatrooshi will soon be making her way into space on an upcoming off-world mission. This will make her the first female Emirati, and certainly not the last, in space. Twinkling lights of satellites The UAE has already launched satellites into space (including MBZSAT, launching today), but it's next orbit objectives are even more impressive. Sirb is the mission to launch 'a constellation' of advanced imaging satellites, using SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) tech. It's named after the Arabic term for a flock of birds, and seeks to gather complex data on earth's land usage and environmental indicators. Project 813 represents the first space cooperation Program between the Arab countries, and is of course led by the UAE. Satellite 813 was named after the year that signified the start of the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, and it will be focused on gathering climate change intel. Armageddon out of here In a project that sounds eerily similar to the plot of Armageddon, the UAE's next grand space adventure in 2028 will involve a five-year, 3.6 billion-kilometre interplanetary yomp. The destination? An asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The objective? To land a spacecraft on an asteroid. If achieved, it will mean the UAE becomes just the fourth nation to have ever achieved that particular goal. In total, the extra-terrestrial excursion will take in the rocky vistas of seven asteroids: 10253 Westerwald, 623 Chimaera, 13294 Rockox, 88055, 23871, 59980, and attempt to land on 269 Justitia by the year 2034. Raising the Mars bar This is the pledge, shared in 2017 that within a century, the UAE will have established 'the first inhabitable human settlement on Mars' by 2117. It's a huge goal, but judging by the space strides already made by the UAE and the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre, it's entirely within reach. Images: What's On archive/UAE Space Agency > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
