UAE: EIAST announces new DubaiSat-3 project

The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) has announced the launch of its new DubaiSat-3 project – the first satellite build to be completed in the UAE.
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A core team of 45 UAE experts and engineers will lead the development of DubaiSat-3, the third satellite program to be undertaken by EIAST in collaboration with its South Korean partner Satrec Initiative (SI).
 
DubaiSat-3 will initially be developed in South Korea and later transferred to EIAST’s satellite manufacturing facilities in the UAE, midway through the project.
 
EIAST is to start developing its own clean room and satellite manufacturing facilities at its headquarters in Dubai as part of preparations for the transfer of DubaiSat-3 development to Dubai.
 
EIAST’s Emirati engineers will be taking the lead in the development of the project from the start and SI will be assuming a consultative role. These latest developments will firm up the transfer of satellite development in the UAE.
 
His Excellency Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Board of Directors, EIAST, said: “The ultimate goal of EIAST is to develop a core team of local experts and position UAE as a global leader in science and technology. We are inspired by the passion and dedication of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who is the leading proponent of the EIAST initiative.”
 
Al Mansoori added: “The DubaiSat-3 Project marks a very important step towards realising this vision as our own UAE experts and engineers will be taking a leadership role in the development of the satellite.
 
"The completion of this project will underline the success of our strategy to develop our own human capital and to invest in state-of-the-art infrastructure and technologies towards establishing the UAE among the most advanced nations in the world. We owe gratitude to our partners Satrec Initiative in reaching our goals.”
 
His Excellency Yousef Al Sheibani, Director General, EIAST, said: “The launch of the DubaiSat-3 Project is a very important step forward and is a clear manifestation of EIAST's dedication, hard work and commitment in cultivating a culture of scientific and technological excellence in the UAE. EIAST has progressed significantly since we began collaborating in 2006 with Satrec Initiative, and we look forward to the next stage of our strategic relationship."
 
The satellite bus of DubaiSat-3 will be similar to that of DubaiSat-2, but there will be significant changes in its payload and the size of the camera. It will also feature a new camera system, which will achieve a sub-metre resolution of 70 centimetres from a distance of 600 kilometres above the surface of the Earth. There will also be improvements in the download speed and computing capabilities.
 
EIAST has developed a core team of 45 UAE experts and engineers for the DubaiSat-3 project and its ground systems, and intends to hire additional UAE nationals in later stages of the project, in line with one of EIAST’s main strategic goals – to advance the skills development of Emiratis.
 
The launch of the DubaiSat-3 project is the culmination of a three-step approach that ultimately aims to achieve full capabilities, knowledge, facilities and research ability to develop advanced satellite missions on UAE soil.