UAE’S Hope Probe to Mars will be an ‘outstanding success’
Fatima Al Shamsi, Space Policies Specialist at the UAE Space Agency, said the UAE has worked hard to ensure sustainable progress of the country’s space sector from the very beginning
The space sector has gone truly global as it is becoming an integral component in addressing the global challenges that are now part of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), experts participating in an E-symposium said.
During the event, ‘The Role of Space in Sustainable Development,’ organised by Trends Research & Advisory, Abu Dhabi, experts discussed the technological advancements in space, the challenges and opportunities in international cooperation, and the future of space exploration. They also highlighted the value of the space sector in climate change and building a sustainable knowledge-based economy.
Fatima Al Shamsi, Space Policies Specialist at the UAE Space Agency, said the UAE has worked hard to ensure sustainable progress of the country’s space sector from the very beginning and that the aim is to have a sustainable research programme besides ensuring manufacturing capabilities.
“We came up with 13 space activities that will drive our strategy for the next ten years, including R&D, manufacturing, ground segment operations, and value-added services. We also made sure our strategy is aligned with the Centennial Plan 2071,” she said.
Representing the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, UAE, its Senior Director of Space Engineering Department, Eng. Amer Al Ghafri, said the Hope Probe to Mars would be an outstanding success that will provide invaluable information about the planet.
In her opening remarks, Simoneta Di Pippo, the Director of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), said research shows that nearly 40 per cent of the targets behind the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGS) rely on space technology. “This year is the start of the UN’S Decade of Action. Only 10 years let are on the clock. We need to do more for sustainable development, and we need to do it faster,” she said.
Simoneta said that a big risk for sustainable development, in both the near and long term, is the widening digital divide between nations. “A collective, global effort is required to ensure that space’s part of the digital revolution does not contribute to deepening inequalities,” she said.
She also emphasised the need for integration and said that we are witnessing profound changes across the full spectrum of space industries, businesses, and services. “While many of these spaceenabled innovations are still in their early stages, their impact already propagates as they fuse with and amplify the existing ones,” she said.
Mentioning the Emirates Mars Mission, and the UAE’S ambitious space programme, Simoneta said that UNOOSA welcomed the opportunity to work more closely with partners in the UAE on space sustainability issues.
Dr. Peter Martinez, the Executive Director of Secure World Foundation, who has extensive experience in space diplomacy, policy formulation, and the regulation of space activities, said space has become a key component in addressing global problems, such as the climate change, and global agendas, such as the SDGS.
Dr. Martinez also said that we need to develop norms of responsible behaviour to avoid chaos and accidents in space. “The new status quo has also birthed many defence initiatives, which will see a boom in the industry growth,” he said.
Prof. Bernard Foing, a Senior Scientist at the
European Space Agency ( ESA) and Director of the Euromoonmars programme, Netherlands, said the space sector’s work could benefit the world community.
According to Foing, global space research will be crucial to tomorrow’s scientists’ training and development. “Transnational collaborative projects can bring international innovators together and address some of the most urgent challenges we face,” he said.
Bianca Cefalo, the Space Systems Thermal Product Manager, Airbus Defence, and Space UK, said satellites already have the remote-sensing capabilities for locating subterranean water. “As a considerable amount of data has already been gathered, we need global collaboration to enable scientists to analyse and use this data,” Cefalo said.
In his concluding remarks, Ahmed Al Astad, Scientific Adviser at the Trends Research & Advisory, said that the symposium gave a unique opportunity to learn about two very important subjects – space and sustainable development.