UAE marks 25 years since momentous launch of first satellite

The UAE is marking 25 years since the launch of its first satellite, a milestone mission that helped lay the foundations for one of the world's fastest-growing space programmes.

It was on October 21, 2000, that Thuraya-1, a communications satellite built by Boeing and commissioned by Thuraya Telecommunications Company in Abu Dhabi, was propelled into the skies on board a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket from a mobile platform in the Pacific.

At the time, it was one of the heaviest commercial telecoms satellites, weighing more than five tonnes, and helped provide service to Thuraya’s satellite phones.

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Two hours and 22 minutes after lift-off, a ground station in Italy received the first signal, confirming the spacecraft was operating normally. It also became the Middle East's first telecoms satellite.

Building block of UAE space ambitions

There was no domestic satellite manufacturing industry in the UAE at the time, but ownership and operation of Thuraya-1 represented the nation’s first strategic step into space.

Jassem Nasser, chief business development officer at Space42, said Thuraya-1 was the beginning of satellite communication innovation.

“I like to think of Thuraya-1 as the first building block, setting the foundation for a far-reaching national space programme,” he told The National. “Over the past 25 years, we have truly embraced the spirit of leading the industry, as reflected in the many awards and accolades we’ve received, and in Thuraya’s name becoming synonymous with innovation.”

Mr Nasser said the launch also signalled a shift in the UAE’s technological capability at a time when few countries had ventured into space.

“When Thuraya-1 was launched in 2000, the UAE’s priority was to build the infrastructure that could connect people across the globe,” he said. “Since then, the nation has transformed those foundations into a dynamic space ecosystem anchored by institutional maturity, strategic foresight and commercial ambition.”

Space42, the space technology company in Abu Dhabi that Mr Nasser now helps to lead, is a product of that transformation. Thuraya became a subsidiary of Yahsat in 2018, and last year Yahsat merged with Bayanat to form Space42.

It now provides satellite communications, geospatial data and advanced mobility intelligence to governments and industries worldwide. “The UAE has moved from being a customer and buyer of space technology, to a recognised developer and provider across telecoms and Earth observation satellite industries,” Mr Nasser said.

Thriving satellite industry

A total of 27 satellites and other spacecraft have been launched by the UAE since Thuraya-1. Some of them have been built domestically, including the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre’s KhalifaSat and MBZ-Sat Earth observation satellites.

The country is focusing more on developing this technology to help boost talent and private-sector growth.

Infrastructure for the UAE Space Agency’s Emirates mission to the asteroid belt, for example, is being built mostly by domestic companies.

Commercial era takes shape

The rise of commercial satellite services was also a turning point for the country, helping drive long-term investment into the UAE space sector. Mr Nasser said this commercial participation has been central to the UAE’s success.

“Commercialisation has transformed the UAE’s space sector from a government-led endeavour into a self-sustaining industry that attracts capital, talent and innovation,” he said. “From a national perspective, and through an investment of roughly Dh44 billion [$12 billion], the UAE has created fertile ground for private-sector participation and international collaboration.”

He said this investment encouraged Emirati companies to develop “agile, market-driven solutions” that supported national priorities and helped the UAE compete internationally.

Space ecosystem

Thuraya-1 was the first of three satellites launched by the company, followed by Thuraya-2 in 2003 and Thuraya-3 in 2008. Space42 launched the fourth mission in January this year.

Dr Dimitra Atri, principal investigator at NYU Abu Dhabi’s space exploration laboratory, said the UAE’s space programme has undergone considerable progress since its first satellite launch.

The country has an impressive civil space programme, with two astronauts already sent to the International Space Station, a probe orbiting Mars and lunar rovers being developed.

“In 25 years, that initial capability has grown into a complete ecosystem, from Earth observation to Mars, the Moon and now the asteroid belt,” Dr Arti said. “Other nations today study the UAE model … how to build a space programme that is rapid, focused and strategically forward-looking.”