UAE Space Agency and Nasa strengthen partnership

Officials from the UAE Space Agency and ­Nasa met in the capital on Tuesday to discuss ways to further their partnership.

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ABU DHABI // Officials from the UAE Space Agency and ­Nasa met in the capital on Tuesday to discuss ways to further their partnership.

Held at the agency’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi, the meeting focused on strengthening ties and on liaising on current space projects.

This includes the UAE’s mission to Mars, where the 2020 launch of the Hope probe will make the UAE the first Arab country to reach the Red Planet, and Nasa’s Deep Space Network, a worldwide array of radio antennas designed to support interplanetary spacecraft missions and provide radar and radio astronomy observations to explore the solar system and universe.

Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, director-general of the UAE Space Agency, said developing strong relations with Nasa was key in advancing the agency’s future programmes.

“We discussed ways to push forward the development of the Hope Probe project, as Nasa has a proven record in developing similar programmes throughout the years and to other planets in the solar system, ” he said.

Dr Al Ahbabi said UAE’s Mars mission would be a culmination of the UAE’s efforts in space, which began over three decades ago through communication projects.

“It will place the country among advanced countries in space exploration,” he said.

tsubaihi@thenational.ae