The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science & Technology (EIAST) revealed that DubaiSat-2, the UAE's second remote sensing satellite, is due to be launched into orbit by the end of 2012.

'The DubaiSat-2 project is in line with the aspirations to promote the knowledge base and technical skills of UAE nationals, enabling them to embrace the latest technologies which will contribute to the overall social and economic growth of the UAE,' said Ahmed Al Mansoori, director general, EIAST.

The technical improvements of DubaiSat-2 include an increase in the speed of the data download from 30 Mbit / second, as is the case in DubaiSat-1, up to 160 Mbit / second, in addition to increasing the amount of data acquired by the satellite per day from  12,000 square metres to 17,000 square metres. With these technical improvements, the weight of the satellite is now 300 kg and its size is two metres in height and 1.5 metres wide.

The orbital height of the satellite has been modified to 600 km above the earth’s surface compared to 690 km, which is the current orbit of DubaiSat-1. The orbit has also been changed from an ascending orbit (South to North)_ to a descending orbit (North to South), which will allow both satellites to work well in constellation as well as give better coverage over the UAE area.

Among other significant improvements, the UAE team along with their South Korean Partners (Satrec Initiative) has designed the satellite to produce higher quality images of the world. The satellite will have a panchromatic resolution of 1m and a multispectral resolution in of 4m in four spectral bands (Red, Green, Blue and Near Infrared). This would enhance the quality of the images for various applications including environmental projects, urban planning, infrastructure, telecommunications and electricity.

DubaiSat-1 was also a joint project between the UAE and South Korea, and during its development the focus was on knowledge transfer to the UAE team and its participation in building the satellite. This joint development has led the team to produce one of the best performing satellites in the 300 kg class.

The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science & Technology EIAST has signed a contract with the International Space Company Kosmotras (ISCK) from Russia to launch DubaiSat-2. It will be launched on board a Dnepr Rocket through the Moscow-based International Space Company Kosmotras (ISCK) from Yasny Cosmodrome in Russia by the fourth quarter of 2012, as part of a clustered launch, in which DubaiSat-2 will be the primary satellite on board.

EIAST had launched DubaiSat-1 in July 2009, and since then the satellite has been transmitting images that are of great value in several areas. Its relatively high spatial resolution complements existing Geographic Information System (GIS) databases and enables more efficient monitoring of various environmental changes, and managing natural hazards, in addition to identifying the quality of water in the Gulf region.-TradeArabia News Service