Page 66 - SAMENA Trends - September-October 2020

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SATELLITE NEWS

UAE Launches Mini Satellite Meznsat into Space

A miniature satellite that will monitor greenhouse gases over
UAE was successfully launched into space on Monday. MeznSat
lifted-off on board a Russian Soyuz 2.1b rocket from the
Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia at 3.20pm Gulf Standard Time.
The nanosat, weighing 2.7 kilograms, will be carried to the low
Earth orbit altitude of 575km and the first signal is expected
to come about eight hours after launch if the nanosat remains
'healthy and alive'. Developed by university students in the UAE,
the nanosatellite will detect gases such as carbon dioxide and
methane over the Emirates to help scientists reduce the impact
of climate change. The satellite was launched into the skies along
with 18 other CubeSats. It was built by students at the Khalifa
University and American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK)
and funded by the UAE Space Agency. “It is an honour for me
to be part of developing our national nanosatellite program,” in Khalifa University as the primary ground station to process
Abdulla Almesmari, a PhD student in mechanical engineering at and analyze the nanosat’s data, as well as the ground station in
Khalifa University who assisted with the testing and integration AURAK. MeznSat is the third CubeSat to be launched by the UAE,
of MeznSat, told The National. “MeznSat is a remarkable after Nayif-1 in 2017 and MySat-1 in 2018. This is the first 3-unit
achievement for us, since it is the first UAE CubeSat with a nanosat to be built by the UAE, meaning it features more systems
3-unit platform, carrying the short-wave infrared spectrometer. than the previous one-unit versions. MeznSat has the Argus 2000
Looking forward to receive the first beacon from MeznSat.” spectrometer and RGB (red, green, blue) camera. Both of these will
Maryam Saeed Al Nuaimi, an AURAK student who worked on be used for greenhouse gas monitoring, as well as predicting algal
the CubeSat’s programming, said:”I am happy and proud of the bloom. It will estimate the concentration of total suspended matter
success of the launch. Finally, MeznSat in space. We are waiting in the coastal waters of the Arabian Gulf. “These projects seek to
for the first contact.” Students will use the YahSat Space Lab develop national capabilities and enhance scientific research in
universities, bringing up a new generation of Emirati engineers
ready to join in the space sector,” said Dr. Mohammed Al Ahbabi,
Director General of the UAE Space Agency (UAESA). “This direction
by UAESA aligns with the keen interest of the wise UAE leadership
in engaging the youth in scientific projects and giving them the
experience needed for the job market.” Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi,
Executive Vice President of Khalifa University, said their students
plan on developing three more nanosatellites in the future. These
include the MySat-2 and Light-1 CubeSats. “Our students have
the opportunity to contribute to these projects during their
studies,” he said. “Their research innovations will have a great
impact on the future of the UAE’s space sector. We look forward
to witnessing similar achievements, as we provide our students
with an opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities." Sarah Al
Amiri, the President of UAESA, also congratulated the university
students on the successful launch. She said experience-based
learning helps prepare students for the job market. "We would
like to congratulate all the students and professors on this great
achievement," said Ms. Al Amiri. "We are proud to see national
capabilities designing, developing, and manufacturing satellites
that will have an impact on UAE’s space sector." UAESA used the
commercial services of Exolaunch to launch MeznSat.

66 SEP-OCT 2020