Satellite data to create air quality map of the UAE

A Russian rocket carrying four Arab satellites, including Dubai’s environment nanosat, lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan yesterday.

The commercial rideshare mission took off at 10.07am, Gulf Standard Time, with payload separation four hours later.

The Soyuz 2.1a rocket was carrying 38 payloads from 18 countries, including two from Saudi Arabia, one from the UAE and another from Tunisia.

The primary payload was South Korea’s CAS500-1 satellite. The initial launch attempt on March 20 was postponed by a voltage surge in the upper stage of the rocket.

Once Dubai’s DMSat-1 becomes operational, Dubai Municipality and Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre will use the data to create an air quality map of the UAE.

Built by the University of Toronto’s space flight laboratory, the 15-kilogram satellite will use three scientific instruments to gather data – a polarimeter imager and two spectrometers.

It will take images of the atmosphere over the UAE, helping to measure the location and levels of pollutants and greenhouse gases.

Dust caused by sandstorms is considered a pollutant.

Alia Al Harmoudi, Dubai Municipality’s director of the environment, said dust is harmful to health.

“It [dust] is one of the main areas we will try to utilise through the satellite to enhance health studies and measure how it is related to health,” she said last week.

The satellite will also measure levels of greenhouse gases over the UAE that contribute to climate change, such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour.

The payload from Saudi Arabia includes the Shaheen Sat. It will be used for photography and maritime tracking. University students designed the second satellite for educational use.

Tunisia’s Challenge One was launched into space yesterday.

It will focus on the Internet of Things and is a precursor to a constellation of 30 other satellites.