UAE-Israel alliance to lead space race
MANAMA, December 13, 2021
Abdulaziz Khattak
The UAE and Israel are looking at endless joint projects and cooperation in the space industry, and are already working together on some ventures.
Just last month, Israel and the UAE signed a landmark agreement to collaborate on joint space ventures, including developing Israel’s lunar lander Beresheet 2.
In addition, the UAE will conduct research to tackle global climate challenges by utilising data from the VENµS microsatellite, which was jointly developed by Israel and France.
At the forefront of such collaborations is Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), a global industry leader and the largest government-owned defence firm in the country.
Known as Israel’s ‘national space house’, IAI, is leading the regional efforts in space, including in education and research to further the field.
“Years of combined efforts in research, design, development, manufacturing, and testing launched the space sector farther than was imaginable before, straight through the existing technological ceiling,” Shlomi Sudri, Vice-President and General Manager of Israel Aerospace Industry’s Space Division, tells Abdulaziz Khattak for Tradearabia.
During the span of a little more than 70 years, Israel similarly broken technological boundaries and left a mark on a variety of fields – among them, the aerospace and defence sectors.
IAI has embraced the nation’s start-up spirit and today stands at the forefront of global innovation.
Developing observation and communication satellites, ground control stations and mission and applications centres, and a full range of space sub-systems, IAI is one of the few companies in the world with end-to-end space capabilities – designing, developing, manufacturing, and launching its high-end products in Israel.
“The opportunities to bring new products, systems and ideas to fruition are infinite, and Israel is leading the charge on shaping the space sector’s future – working together with countless partners across the world, sharing resources and expertise, and utilising the world’s brightest minds to develop exceptional solutions,” says Sudri.
Mirroring Israel’s ambitions in developing cutting-edge technological solutions, the UAE has a thriving start-up ecosystem and an innovative spirit, making the two nations natural partners.
As both nations continue teaming up on a variety of joint ventures, they will also combine efforts to tackle the challenges facing the space industry.
Whereas all other countries are able to utilise gravity and the Earth’s natural rotation to launch satellites to the East, and in the process receive an additional boost equal to the velocity of the Earth’s surface, Israel is unable to launch satellites to the East due to its location.
As such, IAI has developed an innovative approach to solving this challenge, and maintains Israel’s independent launch capabilities by successfully launching satellites to the West.
In addition, in 2019, IAI co-developed Israel’s first lunar lander Beresheet and brought international attention to its success as the first rideshare mission to the moon.
Through this ground-breaking space mission, Israel became the fourth country to attempt landing on the moon’s surface and the seventh to orbit the moon.
Beyond the scientific achievement, Beresheet unified the world by promoting technological innovation and encouraging youth to pursue space education and discovery.
Going forward, IAI is excited to partner with the UAE to develop the next phase of the lunar mission.
“We have recently unveiled several new space concepts, including the mini-communication satellite (MCS),” Sudri says.
Unique due to its small size and lightweight, the MCS can be launched together in rideshare with other satellites, which significantly lowers costs.
The MCS also has ‘space smartphone’ capabilities, with digital communication that allows for constant communication and updates with the ground station.
First presented at the International Astronautical Congress in Dubai in October 2021, the MCS was also displayed at the Dubai Airshow and has garnered wide interest due to its unique capabilities.
Sudri says impacting humanity goes beyond developing new technology. “The process starts with building connections with new partners, cooperating on mutually-beneficial projects, and collaborating on research and development to create a real impact.”
He says Israel places its regional and global partners in high regard and seeks to cooperate on academic research, space missions, and development of holistic solutions to best utilise space and make the field more accessible.
As innovative solutions and international partnerships increase, the space industry will continue breaking boundaries and reaching new heights.
“The sky is no longer the limit, and the stars are already within our reach,” Sudri concludes. –Tradearabia News Service
