Mubadala Investment Company’s aerospace unit Strata has secured a new deal with Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre to produce more parts for the UAE's Earth-imaging satellite MBZ-Sat.
The agreement between Strata Manufacturing and the MBRSC extends an existing partnership between the company and the centre to develop the UAE's space industry, Ismail Abdullah, Strata's chief executive, said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The signing of this contract demonstrates the value of collaboration among national industrial companies,” he said.
“In addition to supporting the UAE's aspirations in the space sector, Strata is pleased to be associated with the MBRSC as a trusted partner and collaborator.”
Strata's pivot into the space supply chain is part of Abu Dhabi's focus on high-technology manufacturing and the UAE's wider space ambitions. The move also underscores the company's efforts to diversify its operations with forays into advanced manufacturing, from biopharma to air-conditioning.
Strata's venture as a satellite parts maker builds on its aerospace experience as a supplier for the world's biggest plane makers Boeing and Airbus.
Its diversification into space is linked with the UAE's own plans to localise space manufacturing and the country's ambitious space plans.
“The MBRSC is dedicated to supporting national private businesses that will contribute to the growth of the UAE’s space industry,” Salem AlMarri, MBRSC's Director General, said.
“We have entrusted Strata to manufacture both mechanical and flat parts of MBZ-Sat, due to their high-calibre capabilities as manufacturers of a national product.”
The three-metre by five-metre satellite, weighing around 700 kilograms, will improve image capture resolution by more than double the capabilities of previously launched satellites.
It will also increase the downlink data transmission speed by three times the current capacity.
The fully automated image scheduling and processing system of MBZ-Sat will also be able to produce more than 10 times the images the Centre produces currently, the statement said.
The Centre is working with five private companies in the UAE to manufacture the satellite, including aerospace manufacturing company Strata, engineering solutions company EPI, Rockford Xellerix, Halcon and Falcon Group.
The UAE has laid out plans for growing the private space sector, and aims to attract companies to its planned space economic zones in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah to set up operations.
Specs
Price, base: Dhs850,000
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 591bhp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.3L / 100km
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
Sunday's games
Liverpool v West Ham United, 4.30pm (UAE)
Southampton v Burnley, 4.30pm
Arsenal v Manchester City, 7pm
