Kuwait University reveals work for sustainable space sector

KUWAIT: Kuwait University announced yesterday that the national satellite project constitutes the start of a sustainable space sector in the country. The long-term venture is aimed at training students on innovation in the space, the university said in a statement. KU is scheduled to launch ‘Kuwait Sat-1 satellite’ into the orbit in the middle of next year from the United States, it said.

Dr Hala Al-Jassar, a physics teacher at the KU and the director of the national satellite project, said the university has an integrated program in the physics department with BA degrees in engineering physics for long sensing by employing the satellites. The educational project involves several local and government departments namely the ministry of defense and Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research. The project kicked started in October 1999 with aim of setting up infrastructure of the space laboratory at the university - in coordination with Colorado University.

The involved team had held talks with Kuwait’s UN Permanent Representative in Vienna Ali Al-Wazzan and the UN representative for space affairs, on prospects of registering the first Kuwaiti satellite. Another meeting held with the general communication authorities addressed registration of its frequency. Jassar has added that the project is being executed with support from KISR with participation of a European research center. —KUNA