UAE Space Agency Says Work On Projects Has Begun

The recently created UAE Space Agency, established to help the country send the region’s first unmanned mission to Mars, confirmed that work on its projects has begun.

Launching its social media platforms on Tuesday, to coincide with the UAE National Day, the agency said it would keep the public informed about the UAE’s space exploration programmes.

It will post all the updates on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google +, it said in a statement.

Dr Mohammad Nasser Al Ahbabi, director general of the UAE Space Agency, said: “Our projects have begun and we want to keep the public and the youth updated on the progress that is being made.

“It is part of our mission to inspire young people and prepare them for the future taking on board their creativity and national pride that will serve our country.

“We want to communicate with them all about opportunities that exist for space exploration and invite them to join us in engaging ideas and working together to succeed with our plans.”

The UAE Space Agency was established by President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in July 2014.

The same month, the UAE announced that it plans to send a probe to Mars by 2021, in a bid to send the Arab world’s first mission to another planet. The probe’s journey will take nine-months and span more than 60 million kilometres.

The mission, to be led by emiratis, will make the UAE one of nine countries with space programmes to explore Mars, and will also coincide with the 50th anniversary of the country’s formation.

In October, it was also announced that the UAE Space Agency had signed an agreement with the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology, EIAST, to build the probe to Mars.