(MENAFN- The Peninsula) A UAE paper has said that when it comes to goals and achievements, the UAE always sets its sights high. The launch of the Strategic Plan for the UAE Space Agency on Monday is aimed at establishing a new international standing for the nation in the space sector.
"As the country's space ambitions soar and highly-talented Emiratis are trained to become leaders in the space sector, a loud and clear message is being sent out to the world: Emiratis are willing and able to take on any challenge. The sky's the limit, literally," said The Gulf Today in an editorial on Tuesday.
The launch and placing into orbit of Dubai Sat 1 and Dubai Sat 2 are already among the remarkable feats. The UAE then decided to enter the space race with a project to send an unmanned probe to Mars by 2021 in the Arab World's first-ever mission to another planet.
It is not just that. The UAE Space Agency is also working on the establishment of the first Space Research Centre in the Middle East.
As His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, noted, "The Hope Probe and the UAE Space Agency are milestones for the development of the UAE. Building a new space sector that is integrated and comprehensive is a value-added step for our national economy, technical knowledge, human capital, and international reputation."
Interestingly, the Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, Dr. Khalifa Mohammed Al Rumaithi, has highlighted the fact that the path to space dates back to 1976, when the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan met the Nasa team responsible for the Apollo Moon programme.
That meeting inspired nearly three decades of efforts guiding the UAE towards space and will be realised with the arrival of the Hope Probe at the red planet in the coming years.
Money spent on such projects is hugely worthwhile. As of 2012, space was a US$304 billion global sector, which leads to many other activities. These activities include commercial space products and services and direct-to-home television. Satellite radio and radio programming are also made available via space assets.
The UAE's investments in space technologies already exceed AED20 billion. The major advancements made in the field in such a short span are indeed a great accomplishment.
The paper concluded by syaing that this inspiration undoubtedly comes from the visionary leadership. "It was Sheikh Mohammed who said, "The moment we stop taking on such challenges is the moment we stop moving forward."
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