Will they find Martians?

ABU DHABI -- The UAE Space Agency has carried out an official visit to the Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO, to discuss opportunities of cooperation between the two organizations within the space sector. This falls in line with the agency's efforts to build strategic partnerships and achieve goals of regional and international cooperation within the industry.

The delegation was led by Dr. Khalifa Al Rumaithi, Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, and Dr. Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi, Director-General, along with a number of senior officials from the agency. They met with a number of engineers and officials from ISRO.

The UAE delegation learnt about the Indian space sector and the different programmes that ISRO has led within space exploration. They also looked at satellite launching capabilities which have positioned India as a leading nation within the industry, as it provides a number of services across the space sector.

The visit also involved a tour of the Satellite Assembly and Testing Center for ISRO, where the final tests are made on satellites before they are launched. This was followed by a visit to the Control And Information Center for the Indian Mars probe project which was launched in 2013 and began to orbit Mars last year. The delegation was briefed on the quality and type of information received at the centres and the methods of collecting and distributing this information to other science and research bodies. It is worth noting that India is one of the seven countries that have operational programs to explore the red planet.

Al Rumaithi said, "The UAE and India have deep bonds and connections that span across political, economic, commercial and cultural historic roots. Working together within the space sector will only strengthen these connections and bring benefits to the UAE that include knowledge transfer and human capital development."

Dr. Al Ahbabi commented, "India is one of the most advanced nations within the space sector and has a strong foundation and fascinating programmes. We therefore look at ways of working together to build partnership and transfer knowledge within this exciting industry."

The UAE Space Agency provided a detailed presentation on the space sector strategy in the UAE, focusing on its objectives, initiatives and programmes. The agency also outlined its strategic priorities that determine the features of the next phase of development, as well as its plans for educational programmes, which will be launched in cooperation with a number of universities and specialized institutions. The agency also provided information on the Mars Probe mission that will be launched by the UAE in time for 2021.

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