• Updates on the longest Arab space mission in history, Emirates Lunar Mission and other projects shared by MBRSC officials

Dubai – UAE: The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) hosted an exclusive media edition of its 'A Call With Space' event, attended by more than 130 attendees from the local and international media at the Museum of the Future on Wednesday. During the event, media representatives had the unique opportunity to engage in a live interaction with astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi, who is currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS), undergoing the longest Arab space mission in history.

The event began with H.E. Salem Humaid AlMarri, Director General of MBRSC, addressing the attendees with a keynote speech, during which he provided insights on the progress of the missions of the Centre and future plans. He further highlighted the significance of the media in crafting and highlighting the success story of the UAE in space exploration and scientific research.

H.E. Salem Humaid AlMarri, Director General of MBRSC said, “We are living in a golden age for the Arab space sector. The entire region is anticipating two milestones in the coming weeks – the landing of the Rashid Rover, which is the first Arab lunar mission as well as the first Arab spacewalk set to be undertaken by Sultan AlNeyadi along with Stephen Bowen. These missions are a testament to our nation's commitment to innovation, research, and development. We are proud of the progress we have made and will continue to push the boundaries of space exploration for the benefit of humanity in collaboration with our partners.”

Speaking during the live call, astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi spoke about how well he has adjusted to life in space, after being on the ISS for more than 40 days. He further spoke about the scientific experiments he has done till date, including working on heart tissues, diabetes treatment, and 3D printing of knee meniscus. AlNeyadi also spoke about the beauty of the Earth as seen from space and the importance of protecting the planet.

During the event key MBRSC officials also spoke with the media on the updates about the longest Arab space mission in history, Emirates Lunar Mission and other projects. 'A Call with Space' will now head to venues across other emirates in the UAE. The next event in the series is scheduled for May.

The UAE Astronaut Programme is one of the projects managed by MBRSC under the UAE’s National Space Programme and funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), which aims to support research and development in the ICT sector in the UAE and promote the country’s integration on the global stage.

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For Media Queries:
MBRSC Media Team
mbrsc@quillmena.com

ABOUT MOHAMMED BIN RASHID SPACE CENTRE (MBSRC):

MBRSC is an advanced scientific and technological hub, responsible for making the UAE a world leader in space services and exploration.

Established in 2006, the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) started out with five engineers, who took it upon themselves to develop their capabilities and expand their knowledge in the field of space, relying on strong will and solid determination. Since then, the centre has continued its journey to be the incubator of the “UAE National Space Programme”. The MBRSC has undertaken the tasks of building, developing, and operating a number of Earth observation satellites, providing imaging services, analysing and studying them, as well as producing relevant data to scientific communities and research centres around the world. Among the satellites that the centre operates are DubaiSat-1 & DubaiSat-2. The MBRSC is also responsible for KhalifaSat, celebrated as the first satellite that was fully built by Emiratis in 2018. Recently, the centre revealed its plan to develop the new satellite MBZ-SAT, which is expected to be launched at the end of 2023 and to be the latest in the field of high-resolution imaging from outer space.