by Sally Goldman
Space has always been a focus of the UAE’s attention since the founding of its federation at the hands of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, who said half a century ago that the UAE would become one of the members of the club of space states, giving back to the Arabs their lost role and their previous leadership in astronomy and space.
The UAE space program was launched and the Emirates Space Agency was established based on the aspiration of Emirati youth striving towards excellence, the probe of hope was to explore the puzzle planet Mars, and not a moment passed until the explorer Rashid, and before that the first Arab astronaut were sent to the International Station in space, and a group of satellites were launched, headed by the cubic moon MuznSat, to be followed by KhalifaSat, and while countries needed long decades to achieve the achievement, the Emirates did it in several years .
As a result of perseverance and persistence, the significant and unprecedented achievements of the Emirates Space Agency were achieved through its contributions to many researches, studies and experiments that influenced space science in the world. February 9, 2021, it was the fifth country in the world to reach the Red Planet, coinciding with its fiftieth anniversary, and as part of its follow-up to its influential and active role, its participation in the Cobus session organized by the United Nations in Vienna, where it affirmed its commitment and support for the efforts of the United Nations Committee to provide and create an environment Safe and sustainable outer space.
The UAE has expressed its keenness to secure and provide all ways and means to preserve outer space within the framework of peaceful purposes. Abu Dhabi has also launched the Economic Zones Program, which supports the establishment, growth, and sustainability of space companies and affirms its commitment to enabling innovation and promoting investment in space.
In this context, Imran Sharaf, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Advanced Science and Technology Affairs, Chairman of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space, said, “We have witnessed great progress in space endeavors since the last session of this committee, to obtain the first pictures of the beginnings of the universe from the James Webb Telescope.”
The spacecraft changed the orbit of an asteroid for the first time, and the continued exploration of the Moon and Mars by spacecraft is evidence of humanity’s desire to go further.