(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) KhalifaSat will be the third satellite launched by Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology making it the UAEs most technologically advanced imaging satellite.
The country’s first satellite designed and built by Emirati engineers KhalifaSat will soon start taking shape at a new satellite development facility in Dubai. Top officials at the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) announced the agency’s latest developments at a press briefing on Wednesday.
Yousuf Al Shaibani Director General of EIAST said: “KhalifaSat is a milestone for EIAST as well as the UAE. It will be an assessment of our capabilities in satellite manufacturing helping us position ourselves as leaders in satellite development and technology regionally and internationally.”
KhalifaSat will be the third satellite launched by EIAST — making it the UAE’s most technologically advanced imaging satellite.
“We are delighted that this progress is as per our timeline and results have exceeded expectations” added Yousuf.
Emirati engineers working at a facility in South Korea have successfully completed the design of modules and sub-systems for the satellite. Speaking with journalists Amer Al Sayegh Director of Space Systems Development at EIAST said: “The project will be shifted from South Korea to the UAE once our new development facilities will be built here in Dubai.”
“Technological innovations which can help us in our future projects will be at the core of our research agenda. We are in the process of finalising the mock-up model of KhalifaSat which will have a bus similar to that of DubiSat-2 but with an improved mechanical structure which will house a more developed camera” added Amer.
The satellite will be positioned at an altitude of 600 kilometres and feature an imaging resolution of 70cm. Engineers working on the project’s second phase will create a full engineering model of the satellite and a mock-up mechanical model.
Software upgrades and new technologies will enhance the latest satellite’s performance by 30 per cent.
Technological achievements of the new satellite will include more storage capacity faster download speed and better computing capabilities.
Testing for the new satellite is expected to partly take place in South Korea but manufacturing components will take place in Dubai. The manufacturing of the actual flight model of the satellite will follow in the final phase which is expected to be ready for launch in 2017.
Dubai Sat-1 and Dubai Sat-2 are actively deployed providing government departments in the UAE with advanced imaging capabilities and helping them monitor projects. EIAST was established by the Dubai Government in 2006 to encourage scientific innovation and technological progress in Dubai and in the UAE.
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