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Arab News
19-04-2025
- Science
- Arab News
1985 - Saudi prince's pioneering journey into space
RIYADH: On June 17, 1985, Saudi Arabia made history when the NASA space shuttle Discovery blasted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida on its fifth mission, carrying the first Arab, Muslim and royal astronaut — and with him, the dawn of a new era of Arab space exploration. Prince Sultan bin Salman, a 28-year-old Royal Saudi Air Force pilot, spent seven days conducting experiments in space as part of an international crew of seven. During Discovery's voyage, the prince, the second son of Saudi Arabia's King Salman, also monitored the deployment of Arabsat-1B, the second satellite launched by the Arab Satellite Communications Organization, designed to boost telephone and television communication between Arab nations. Saudi Arabia's leadership in the regional space-exploration sector began at that moment, setting the stage for the remarkable progress that followed and has shaped its vision. Confidence in the Kingdom's ability to spearhead the Arab world's journey into space was evident when Arab League member states nominated Prince Sultan as a payload specialist to travel aboard the space shuttle. The Kingdom had played a pivotal role in the Arab League's founding of satellite communications company Arabsat. Its first satellite, Arabsat-1A, was launched into space on a French rocket in February 1985. During 10 weeks of intensive training in Saudi Arabia and with NASA in the US, Prince Sultan made the transition from Royal Saudi Air Force pilot to an astronaut ready for a mission on which he would be the youngest person on the crew. He returned to a hero's welcome in Saudi Arabia and the wider Arab world when the space shuttle touched down safely at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 6:11 a.m. local time on June 24, 1985, and inspired a generation of Arabs to turn their gaze toward the stars. His own mission in the space sector was far from over, however. Upon his return, the prince was promoted to the rank of major in the Royal Saudi Air Force and, when Saudi Arabia decided to accelerate its space-exploration endeavors as part of Vision 2030, there was no better choice of chairperson for the Saudi Space Commission when it was established in 2018. Prince Sultan's efforts to develop a new generation of Saudi astronauts quickly began to bear fruit. And on May 21, 2023, the Kingdom celebrated another milestone in its journey into space when the first female Saudi and Arab astronaut took flight. Rayyanah Barnawi was joined by Ali Alqarni, the second Saudi man in space after Prince Sultan, on the first mission of the Saudi Space Commission's Human Space Flight program. During their 10-day mission to the International Space Station as part of the four-person Axiom Mission 2, the two Saudi astronauts conducted 11 microgravity research experiments. Prince Sultan and his Saudi Air Force backup, Maj. Abdul Al-Mohsin Hamad Al-Bassam, arrive in the US to begin intensive training for a space shuttle mission. Prince Sultan becomes first Arab in space after he blasts off from Cape Canaveral on the shuttle Discovery. Discovery's crew deploys the Arabsat-1B satellite. After orbiting Earth 111 times and traveling more than 4.6 million km, Discovery lands at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Muhammed Faris from Syria becomes second Arab in space, flies to the Soviet Mir space station. Prince Sultan appointed chairperson of newly established Saudi Space Commission. Emirati Hazza Al-Mansouri carries the UAE flag to the International Space Station during an 8-day mission. He is the third Arab in space and the first on the ISS. First Saudi and Arab female astronaut, Rayyanah Barnawi, and Ali Alqarni, the second Saudi man in space after Prince Sultan, visit the ISS on a 10-day mission. Cabinet resolution changes name of Saudi Space Commission to Saudi Space Agency. A month later, the commission was renamed the Saudi Space Agency by a Cabinet resolution. Its aims are to develop space technologies, boost economic diversification, support research and development in the sector, and nurture future generations of Saudi astronauts. 'This country has been built for so many generations, and each generation paves the way for the next generation, and creates the platform for the next generation to take it to the next level,' Prince Sultan said during an interview with Arab News in 2019. In 2020, Saudi Arabia announced the allocation of $2.1 billion to its space program as part of the diversification efforts outlined in the Vision 2030 strategic framework for national development. Two years later, the Saudi space sector generated $400 million in revenue, and the figure expected to reach $2.2 billion by 2030. Beyond Saudi Arabia, Prince Sultan's pioneering journey into space also inspired Arabs elsewhere in the region. Two years later, in July 1987, Muhammed Faris from Syria was a research cosmonaut on an eight-day, three-person mission aboard a Soviet spacecraft to the Mir space station. Joined by two Soviet cosmonauts, he conducted several research experiments in the fields of space medicine and materials processing. Hazza Al-Mansouri, the third Arab in space, who in September 2019 became the first Emirati astronaut and the first Arab to set foot on the International Space Station, also took inspiration from Prince Sultan. 'Al-Mansouri's passion for space and desire to pave the way for future generations to explore it had been inspired by Prince Sultan's 1985 mission,' Mohammed Nasser Al-Ahbabi, a former director general of the UAE Space Agency, wrote in 2020 in an article marking the 45th anniversary of Arab News. 'As a young student, the future astronaut saw a photo of Prince Sultan, the first Arab in space, in his fourth-grade schoolbook — a turning point in his life.' In 1988, the then president of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, met Prince Sultan and quizzed him about every detail of his journey into space. 'Prince Sultan's experience had a great impact on the UAE in particular, a country that has demonstrated a strong commitment to space since the time of its founder and first president, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan,' wrote Al-Ahbabi. 'Sheikh Zayed's vision and Prince Sultan's historic milestone were the stepping stones for driving the UAE and the region's enthusiasm for space exploration.' The UAE Space Agency signed an agreement with the Saudi Space Agency in 2020 to enhance cooperation in space activities for peaceful purposes, build technical and scientific capabilities, and exchange knowledge and expertise. As the Arab region continues to expand its projects and investments in the space sector, the role of the Saudi prince in reminding younger generations to reach for the stars will always be remembered. When they see the Earth from space they will find, as Prince Sultan told Arab News in 2019, that 'your care and your passion for things become more global, more universal.'
Arab News
17-02-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Saudi Horizons: From early missions to realizing a $1.8 trillion space economy by 2035
In 1985, Prince Sultan bin Salman became the first Arab and Muslim astronaut, flying aboard NASA's STS-51-G mission to deploy Arabsat-1B. Around the same time, the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology championed research and development for Saudi Arabia's early satellite programs. The Kingdom's engagement with space is rooted in both pioneering achievements and a clear vision for future growth. This foundational work now aligns with Vision 2030, propelling the country's ascent in the global space economy. Saudi Arabia's early milestones signaled a deliberate intent to harness space for economic and technological gains. Arabsat, launched in the mid-1980s, paved the way for an expanding satellite communication framework, integrating the Kingdom's ambitions into broader global networks. These undertakings foreshadowed the wave of strategic programs currently shaping Saudi Arabia's quest to become a central player in the space economy. Space is rapidly emerging as a pivotal driver of economic growth and technological innovation. According to the Space Foundation, the global space economy reached $570 billion in 2023, reflecting a 7.4 percent year-over-year increase and more than double its 2009 valuation of $261.6 billion. Commercial revenues alone totaled $445 billion — or 78 percent of the overall market — while international government space spending grew by 11 percent to hit $125 billion. Projections still forecast the space economy to surpass $1 trillion by 2030, fueled by robust expansion in satellite services, space tourism, and new interplanetary ventures. Against this backdrop, Saudi Arabia aims to invest $2 billion in satellite development, space science, and tech-focused industry to reinforce its position. The satellite market itself, currently estimated at $334.83 billion in 2024, could grow to $729.53 billion by 2034 at an 8.1 percent compound annual growth rate, underscoring lucrative opportunities for nations able to blend technical prowess with forward-looking policies. By focusing on research, capacity-building, and infrastructure, Saudi Arabia hopes to capture a meaningful slice of this surging space economy while integrating it into the Kingdom's broader vision for diversification and innovation. Saudi Arabia builds on KACST's longstanding research and development legacy through new initiatives like the Space Tech Entrepreneurship Incubation Program, which attracted SR41 billion ($10.9 billion) in investments and graduated 15 startups, and the National Semiconductor Hub focusing on technological localization. This is coupled with the opportunity of establishing innovation centers focused on space-based solutions provides a great opportunity to advance the technological growth of Saudi Arabia. These ventures support advanced satellite research, space-borne internet systems, and expanding partnerships with NASA and global collaborators, all fueling the Kingdom's digital transformation. Saudi Arabia intends to capture a substantial share of the exponential growth of the space economy. By allocating billions toward satellite technology, space science, and tech-focused R&D programs, the Kingdom underscores its aspiration to be a key force in this evolving sector, with projections pointing toward a remarkable $1.8 trillion by 2035, according to the World Economic Forum. The National Satellite Data Center illustrates this determination by gathering and interpreting satellite data for security, environmental monitoring, and urban planning. In the same spirit, early space missions gave rise to everyday breakthroughs: camera sensors originally made for planetary imaging power our smartphone photography, while satellite-based navigation systems have reshaped modern mobility. Saudi Arabia's active engagement hints at similar offshoots that might emerge from its ballooning space research, potentially spurring innovations in areas like green energy, advanced agriculture, and medical diagnostics. Space debris remains a formidable challenge for this burgeoning industry. The European Space Agency estimates that over 36,500 objects larger than 10 cm orbit Earth , joined by millions of smaller fragments that raise the risk of collisions. Kessler Syndrome — a cascading cycle of orbital debris collisions — underscores the urgency for debris mitigation and end-of-life protocols. By prioritizing responsible decommissioning and investing in debris-clearing technologies, Saudi Arabia shows a clear commitment to protecting vital orbital pathways alongside its own economic objectives. At the core of these ambitions lies workforce development. Saudi Arabia has long recognized that a thriving space sector depends on skilled professionals in engineering, science, and research. Through expanded STEM programs and international scholarships, the Kingdom is nurturing a new generation of innovators prepared to tackle tomorrow's challenges. Taken together, this story illustrates how Saudi Arabia's space efforts have grown from a singular astronaut's flight into a holistic blueprint for progress. As analysts project the global space economy to hit trillions in the coming decade, the Kingdom's pursuit of advanced satellite systems, environmental stewardship, and human capital stands out. Balancing bold socio-economic targets with proactive sustainability measures, the Saudi Arabia's evolution from pioneering missions to shaping a next-generation space economy signals an enduring dedication to both innovation and responsibility. • Hamad S. Alshehab is a strategic advisor to NGOs focused on empowering youth and community development in Saudi Arabia. He is experienced and specialized in areas including control systems, digital transformation, entrepreneurship, innovation, investments and economics. • Hassan M. Alzain is pursuing a master's degree in environmental management at Yale University. He led the Environmental Science, Sustainability and Policy Group at Aramco's Environmental Protection, and is experienced in areas such as sustainability reporting, climate policy, envrionmental technology and data assurance.
