The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) has announced the successful launch of Dubai Sat-2 into outer space today (November 21).
 
The launch, at 11:10 am UAE time, marks another accomplishment for the UAE in aerospace and complements EIAST’s achievements in the fields of space science and advanced technology.

Dubai Sat-2 was launched into outer space from the Yasny Launch Base in Russia, using the Russian Dnepr rocket launcher in cooperation with the Russian International Space Company (Kozmotras), under the supervision of EIAST representatives and team of engineers.

The UAE team of engineers at the ground station was able to communicate directly with Dubai Sat-2, which entered orbit 15 minutes and 33 seconds after its launch and accurately determined the path of the satellite. Thereafter, the process of establishing the first link with the satellite through the telecommunication system has commenced and the first telemetries and satellite status was received.

The speed of Dubai Sat-2 is 7.55 km/S until it passes 600 km above earth.

Yousuf Al Shaibani, director general, EIAST, said: “We take great pride in this new accomplishment, which highlights Dubai’s great development in terms of building national UAE capacities in the space field—a feat that remains true to the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, of transforming UAE into a pioneering nation. The success of launching Dubai Sat-2 into the outer space is the cultivation of years of vision and hard work to achieve future aspirations to make the UAE a global hub for building satellites and a leading center for space technology.”

Dubai Sat-2 weighs 300 kg and is 2 meters high and 1.5 meters wide. DubaiSat-2 has been designed to provide higher quality, electro-optical imagery with a panchromatic resolution of 1m for various applications including environmental projects, urban planning and infrastructure, said Amer Al Sayegh, director of the space systems development department at EIAST and Dubai-Sat-3 project manager.

 The satellite is equipped to provide space imagery of the entire world throughout its lifetime and can take multiple images of the same area in one day, as well as receive and process these images from anywhere in the world within one day, he said. – TradeArabia News Service