DMSat-1 will help create a database of air pollutant sources in the UAE, including levels of dust. Mbrsc
DMSat-1 will help create a database of air pollutant sources in the UAE, including levels of dust. Mbrsc
A Soyuz 2.1a rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Roscomos
A Soyuz 2.1a rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Roscomos
The payload from the UAE includes an environment satellite, called DMSat-1. Mbrsc
The payload from the UAE includes an environment satellite, called DMSat-1. Mbrsc
The Soyuz 2.1a rocket is carrying 38 international payloads from 18 countries to space. Roscosmos
The Soyuz 2.1a rocket is carrying 38 international payloads from 18 countries to space. Roscosmos
The Soyuz 2.1a rocket lifts off at 10.07am Gulf Standard Time. Roscosmos
The Soyuz 2.1a rocket lifts off at 10.07am Gulf Standard Time. Roscosmos
The payload separation of 37 small satellites will take place four hours after lift off. Roscosmos
The payload separation of 37 small satellites will take place four hours after lift off. Roscosmos
The weather conditions were rainy at the launch site, but conditions were suitable for a lift offR. Roscosmos
The weather conditions were rainy at the launch site, but conditions were suitable for a lift offR. Roscosmos
The launch of four Arab satellites was postponed to March 22, after a voltage strike in the upper stage of the Soyuz 2.1a rocket occurred. Glavkosmos
The launch of four Arab satellites was postponed to March 22, after a voltage strike in the upper stage of the Soyuz 2.1a rocket occurred. Glavkosmos
The initial launch attempt on March 20 was called off by Russian space agency Roscosmos. The rocket will carry 38 international payloads from 18 countries. Two small satellites are from Saudi Arabia, one from the UAE and one from Tunisia. Glavkosmos
The initial launch attempt on March 20 was called off by Russian space agency Roscosmos. The rocket will carry 38 international payloads from 18 countries. Two small satellites are from Saudi Arabia, one from the UAE and one from Tunisia. Glavkosmos
DMSat-1 will monitor concentrations of greenhouses gases that contribute to climate change, such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour. Mbrsc
DMSat-1 will monitor concentrations of greenhouses gases that contribute to climate change, such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour. Mbrsc
Dubai Municipality and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (Mbrsc) are overseeing the project. The Space Flight Laboratory in University of Toronto manufactured and built the 15-kilogram satellite. Mbrsc
Dubai Municipality and the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (Mbrsc) are overseeing the project. The Space Flight Laboratory in University of Toronto manufactured and built the 15-kilogram satellite. Mbrsc
The satellite’s main scientific instrument is the polarimeter imager, which will collect data. It will work at seven different angles with two different polarisations. Mbrsc
The satellite’s main scientific instrument is the polarimeter imager, which will collect data. It will work at seven different angles with two different polarisations. Mbrsc
An engineer works on the satellite. Mbrsc
An engineer works on the satellite. Mbrsc

Environment

Dubai satellite to measure UAE dust levels after March 20 launch

DMSat-1 will send back vital data on the Emirates' environment

Sarwat Nasir
Sarwat Nasir
UAE

March 16, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

DMSat-1, Dubai's new environment satellite, will assess air pollution in the UAE – particularly dust levels – after it launches on Saturday.

The satellite will be carried into space by  a Russian Soyuz-2 rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10.07am local time.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre and Dubai Municipality are overseeing the project.

The 15-kilogram satellite was built by the University of Toronto's Space Flight Laboratory. Its findings will help create a database on pollution that will be sent to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

Sandstorms are common in the UAE and in other parts of the Middle East. Besides sand, they can contain silica crystals, bacteria, dust mites and viruses that can cause respiratory disorders and carry infectious diseases.

A cyclist in Dubai's Discovery Gardens covers his eyes during a sandstorm in July, 2020. Pawan Singh / The National
A cyclist in Dubai's Discovery Gardens covers his eyes during a sandstorm in July, 2020. Pawan Singh / The National
Traffic during the sandstorm in Discovery Gardens area in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
Traffic during the sandstorm in Discovery Gardens area in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
Visibility was reduced for drivers on Tuesday afternoon. Pawan Singh / The National
Visibility was reduced for drivers on Tuesday afternoon. Pawan Singh / The National
Cloudy weather is forecast in the coming days. Pawan Singh / The National
Cloudy weather is forecast in the coming days. Pawan Singh / The National
Sandstorms are relatively common in the summer months. Pawan Singh / The National
Sandstorms are relatively common in the summer months. Pawan Singh / The National
The Dubai metro pictured on Tuesday. Pawan Singh / The National
The Dubai metro pictured on Tuesday. Pawan Singh / The National
Visibility was reduced to 20 metres or so at one stage, in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
Visibility was reduced to 20 metres or so at one stage, in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
The weather in Dubai. Antonie Robertson/The National
The weather in Dubai. Antonie Robertson/The National
The weather in Dubai. Antonie Robertson/The National
The weather in Dubai. Antonie Robertson/The National
Sandstorm weather in Dubai. Antonie Robertson/The National
Sandstorm weather in Dubai. Antonie Robertson/The National
Sandstorm weather in Dubai. Antonie Robertson/The National
Sandstorm weather in Dubai. Antonie Robertson/The National
The sandstorm at Sheih Zayed Bridge, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
The sandstorm at Sheih Zayed Bridge, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
The sandstorm at the downtown Abu Dhabi E10 area. Victor Besa / The National
The sandstorm at the downtown Abu Dhabi E10 area. Victor Besa / The National
Al Reem Island from downtown Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Al Reem Island from downtown Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
The sandstorm at Twofour54, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
The sandstorm at Twofour54, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
The sandstorm at the Abu Dhabi E10 Highway area. Victor Besa / The National
The sandstorm at the Abu Dhabi E10 Highway area. Victor Besa / The National

Alia Al Harmoudi, director of the environment department at Dubai Municipality, said dust is considered to be an air pollutant.

“The particular matter [dust] has an effect on health,” she said on Tuesday.

“It is one of the main areas we will try to utilise through the satellite to enhance health studies and measure how it is related to health.”

DMSat-1 will also monitor concentrations of greenhouses gases that contribute to climate change, such as carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour.

Read More

What causes the UAE's sandstorms and are they dangerous?

UAE to send environment satellite to space on Russian rocket this month

Ms Al Harmoudi said the findings would be submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

Adnan Al Rais, programme director for DMSat-1 at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, said the satellite's main scientific instrument is the polarimeter imager, which will capture scientific images of the atmosphere over the UAE, revealing air pollutants. It will work at seven different angles.

Secondary instruments include spectrometers which will help detect greenhouse gases.

“We expect that we'll take the first images in the first few days [after the launch] and that data will be provided to Dubai Municipality and to us for calibration and validation purposes,” he said.

Separation from the rocket is expected to take place four hours after lift-off and the first contact with ground control should take place at 3pm.

DMSat-1 will be placed at an orbit 730 kilometres above the Earth’s surface.

The satellite is one among a cluster of small payloads from 18 countries – including Saudi Arabia and Tunisia – that will be delivered into space on board the rocket.

UAE's Moon mission will study lunar dust - in pictures 

An artist's impression of the UAE's lunar rover called Rashid.
An artist's impression of the UAE's lunar rover called Rashid.
Dr Hamad Al Marzooqi, project manager of the Emirates Lunar Mission at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Dr Hamad Al Marzooqi, project manager of the Emirates Lunar Mission at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Chris Whiteoak / The National
An artist's impression of iSpace's Hakuto-Reboot lunar lander. It will carry UAE's Rashid rover to the surface of the Moon in 2022.
An artist's impression of iSpace's Hakuto-Reboot lunar lander. It will carry UAE's Rashid rover to the surface of the Moon in 2022.
The UAE aims to land the Rashid rover on the near side of the Moon due to its smoother surface.
The UAE aims to land the Rashid rover on the near side of the Moon due to its smoother surface.
The far side of the Moon remains largely unexplored, but Nasa is turning its focus back to the lunar surface.
The far side of the Moon remains largely unexplored, but Nasa is turning its focus back to the lunar surface.
The HAKUTO-R lander, which will deliver the UAE's Rashid rover to the lunar surface in 2022, is now in final stages of assembly.
The HAKUTO-R lander, which will deliver the UAE's Rashid rover to the lunar surface in 2022, is now in final stages of assembly.
The ispace team completed the assembly of the lander's structure thermal model in April. Courtesy: ispace
The ispace team completed the assembly of the lander's structure thermal model in April. Courtesy: ispace
The final assembly of the lander is being carried out in co-operation with the Ariane Group GmbH at the Ariane Group facility in Lampoldshausen, Germany. Courtesy: ispace
The final assembly of the lander is being carried out in co-operation with the Ariane Group GmbH at the Ariane Group facility in Lampoldshausen, Germany. Courtesy: ispace
Using a lander and rocket that is already available helps Emirati engineers and scientists get quicker and easier access to space. Courtesy: ispace
Using a lander and rocket that is already available helps Emirati engineers and scientists get quicker and easier access to space. Courtesy: ispace
The initial concept design of the Rashid rover. Courtesy: MBRSC
The initial concept design of the Rashid rover. Courtesy: MBRSC
Rashid rover's thermal imager will analyse the Moon's properties through thermal energy. Courtesy: MBRSC
Rashid rover's thermal imager will analyse the Moon's properties through thermal energy. Courtesy: MBRSC
The Langmuir probes on the rover will analyse the lunar surface charge and electric fields. Courtesy: MBRSC
The Langmuir probes on the rover will analyse the lunar surface charge and electric fields. Courtesy: MBRSC
One of the rover's two high-resolution optical imagers that will take photos of the Moon. Courtesy: MBRSC
One of the rover's two high-resolution optical imagers that will take photos of the Moon. Courtesy: MBRSC
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Inside Palestine-Israel
MATCH INFO

Northern Warriors 92-1 (10 ovs)

Russell 37 no, Billings 35 no

Team Abu Dhabi 93-4 (8.3 ovs)

Wright 48, Moeen 30, Green 2-22

Team Abu Dhabi win by six wickets

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULT

Australia 3 (0) Honduras 1 (0)
Australia: Jedinak (53', 72' pen, 85' pen)
Honduras: Elis (90 4)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
While you're here
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

Zakat definitions

Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.

Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.

Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.

Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M3%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%2FUSB-4%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206E%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%2F35W%20dual-port%2F70w%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%2C%202%20Apple%20stickers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C599%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULT

Valencia 3

Kevin Gameiro 21', 51'

Ferran Torres 67'

Atlanta 4

Josip Llicic 3' (P), 43' (P), 71', 82'

While you're here
While you're here
World%20Food%20Day%20
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ILT20%20UAE%20stars
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELEADING%20RUN%20SCORERS%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1%20Nicholas%20Pooran%2C%20261%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E2%20Muhammad%20Waseem%20(UAE)%2C%20248%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E3%20Chris%20Lynn%2C%20244%3Cbr%3E4%20Johnson%20Charles%2C%20232%3Cbr%3E5%20Kusal%20Perera%2C%20230%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBEST%20BOWLING%20AVERAGE%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E(minimum%2010%20overs%20bowled)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E1%20Zuhaib%20Zubair%20(UAE)%2C%209%20wickets%20at%2012.44%3Cbr%3E2%20Mohammed%20Rohid%20(UAE)%2C%207%20at%2013.00%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E3%20Fazalhaq%20Farooqi%2C%2017%20at%2013.05%3Cbr%3E4%20Waqar%20Salamkheil%2C%2010%20at%2014.08%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E5%20Aayan%20Khan%20(UAE)%2C%204%20at%2015.50%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E6%20Wanindu%20Hasaranga%2C%2012%20at%2016.25%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E7%20Mohammed%20Jawadullah%20(UAE)%2C%2010%20at%2017.00%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ZIMBABWE V UAE, ODI SERIES

All matches at the Harare Sports Club:

1st ODI, Wednesday - Zimbabwe won by 7 wickets

2nd ODI, Friday, April 12

3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14

4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16

UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed

ScienceSpaceUae In SpaceEnvironment

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