The UAE is continuing its pioneering achievements in the space sector, as it will soon launch the MeznSat satellite on a Russian Soyuz rocket. MeznSat can be added to the list of satellites owned and operated by the UAE. In this report, the Emirates News Agency, WAM, highlights the national decade-long efforts to develop satellites, with the participation of many talented young UAE nationals, and in partnership with local and international entities. The UAE owns many high-capacity satellites. In 2008, "DubaiSat-1" was first launched to monitor climate change by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre. In 2013, "DubaiSat-2" was launched for observation and monitoring purposes, and Emirati engineers from the center contributed to its development. "Yah-1" is the first satellite launched by the Al Yah Satellite Communications Company, with the aim of achieving several objectives, such as broadcasting TV programs and providing other commercial services for 62 million viewers. In 2012, "Yah-2" was launched to provide "YahClick" satellite Internet services to various corporations and individuals in the Middle East, African, and Central and Southwest Asia. In 2018, "Yah-3" was launched to offer equivalent services in South America and West Africa. "Nayif-1" was the first nanometric satellite and the first "CubeSat" Emirati educational satellite, which was launched in 2017 from India for educational purposes, and developed by a group of students from the American University of Sharjah and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre. "KhalifaSat" is the first satellite to be completely developed and manufactured in the UAE, and was launched from the Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan in October 2018. The UAE is also developing the first joint Arab satellite, knows as, "Satellite 813." According to the UAE Space Agency, MeznSat is being developed by young Emirati citizens from Khalifa University and the American University in Ras Al Khaimah, who will also monitor and analyze data sent to the mainland station at the YahSat lab in Khalifa University and the sub-land station at American University. During the project's announcement, Dr. Eng. Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi, director-general of the Agency, stressed that MeznSat will play a key role in analysing the atmosphere and providing information and photos that will help understand many issues facing the planet. — WAM
