A delegation of Emirati engineers attended a specialised training programme, held in Tokyo, Japan, for developing the UAE’s space science and satellite technology capabilities.

The training comes as part of the capacity building programme launched by the UAE Space Agency in cooperation with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), said a statement from the agency.

The programme included workshops on nano satellite technologies covering a range of topics, including production, testing, costing, control systems, applications and performance, it said.

The Emirati engineers went on to tour leading research and development sites, including the NEC Corporation’s Fuchu Plant, JAXA’s Tsukuba Space Center, Mitsubishi Heavy Industry’s Tobishima plant and Axelspace, a company specialising in micro-satellite production, it added.

In addition, the delegation held meetings with the Japanese Cabinet Office; Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; and the Japan Space Forum.

Dr Khalifa Al Romaithi, chairman of the UAE Space Agency, said: “This programme contributes to the realisation of our strategic vision to develop national capabilities, providing the national space sector with the human elements necessary for its growth and development throughout the coming years and decades.”

Dr Mohammed Al Ahbabi, director general of the UAE Space Agency, said: “The programme is a manifestation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by our agency and a number of stakeholders in the Japanese space sector.”

“The document stipulated a number of ways for both sides to further cooperate in developing, training and exchanging specialists involved in space-related science, technology and engineering,” he added.

The training programme lasted 10 days, and included participants from the UAE Space Agency, Mohamed bin Rashid Space Centre and YahSat, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service