DUBAI // As if confidence that Dubai will host Expo 2020 weren't already sky high, now the bid is going into orbit.
The Expo 2020 logo will be emblazoned on the side of the launch rocket that takes DubaiSat-2 into space.
The satellite, which has been in development since 2009, has been moved to the Yasny launch base in Russia as the final countdown begins for a launch before the end of the year.
It will share a Dnepr-1 rocket with about 20 other satellites, including three that are several times the size of DubaiSat-2.
The vote on the Expo host city takes place in Paris on November 27 and Salem al Marri, project manager for the space programme at Emirates Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, hopes the satellite launch will be before that.
“We know it’s going to be pretty soon,” he said. “We’re targeting before the end of the year. There’s a few things we need to confirm.
“Once we’ve done that by the end of the week, we will be able to surely say an accurate date.”
Yousuf Al Shaibani, director general of the institute, said the logo on the rocket was a sign of the confidence of Dubai’s chances.
“The UAE’s chances of winning the bid are strong, supported by a solid economy, a multicultural social fabric and strategic location, as well as a state-of-the-art infrastructure, remarkable logistics capabilities and extensive expertise in organising world-class events,” he said.
Basic design work on DubaiSat-2 began even before its predecessor, DubaiSat-1, was launched in 2009.
It is equipped with a higher resolution camera that can spot travelling cars, make out details on buildings and read logos on aircraft waiting on runways.
Whereas DubaiSat-1 has been used for wider environmental monitoring, DubaiSat-2 will have greater use in urban planning.
The design and manufacture of the satellite was carried out in Seoul, South Korea, under a skills transfer arrangement between the institute and Satrec, the South Korean satellite company.
Fully 50 per cent of the work on DubaiSat-2 was conducted by Emirati engineers and it is hoped its successor, DubaiSat-3, will be built on home soil, solely by Emirati scientists.
Mr Al Shaibani said a key goal of the satellite projects has been fostering local expertise.
“DubaiSat-2 project complements the second stage of the plan set by EIAST to build an integrated team of Emirati engineers through the development of our human resources to ultimately promote the UAE’s leading position as an international destination for space technology,” he said.
“Over the past five years, our team of engineers has developed DubaiSat-2 under the supervision of our strategic partner Satrec Initiative. This alliance offers the opportunity to leverage expertise in space technology and boost national competencies in the hope of manufacturing satellites within the homeland soon.”
mcroucher@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Bookshops: A Reader's History by Jorge Carrión (translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush),
Biblioasis
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Profile of Tamatem
Date started: March 2013
Founder: Hussam Hammo
Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media
MWTC info
Tickets to the MWTC range from Dh100 and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ae or by calling 800 86 823 from within the UAE or 971 4 366 2289 from outside the country and all Virgin Megastores. Fans looking to attend all three days of the MWTC can avail of a special 20 percent discount on ticket prices.
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
SPECS
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