India laying out new space infra and opening up sector will benefit us too: UAE space agency DG | India News
ABU DHABI: Calling space cooperation between two countries as ‘historic’, UAE Space Agency director general Saelm Butti Salem Al Qubaisi on Tuesday lauded India for тАШlaying out a new structure in the space sector by setting up new companies to promote businesses with private players and foreign entitiesтАЭ, and said the new set-up will benefit his country too.
In an interview with TOI, Al Qubaisi said, тАЬIndia opening new public sector entities (IsroтАЩs commercial PSU NSIL and space regulator IN-SPACe) to encourage the private sector to have more access to its space infrastructure is a great opportunity. It also wants to open new partnerships with foreign players. This is an opportunity for the UAE too. Just like India, our mandate is to focus on developing our private sector.тАЭ
тАЬ I consider the launch of Nayif-1 (a UAE nanosatellite launched in 2017) by India as a transactional cooperation as it was a one-off. Thereafter Covid affected launches for over two years. There is always the question of the competitiveness and pricing issues (for satellite launch) but there are intangible benefits too. There are many opportunities for space cooperation between the two sides as both countries have strategic partnership,тАЭ the UAE agency director general said. He said he agreed with Israel President Issac Herzog who at the Abu Dhabi Space Debate, wanted a close space partnership between India, Israel and the UAE.
On whether the UAE will emulate India by using its space technology for improving ease of living just like smart city, farm and water management projects, Al Qubaisi said, тАЬWe are already working on this field as people are our priority. Our top priority is food and water security.тАЭ
Unfazed by western influence, Al Qubaisi said the UAE is ready to tie up with any country, including China, for space collaboration in “national interest”. тАЬFor us, it’s a ‘leo-political’ equation rather than a geopolitical situation in space cooperation,тАЭ he said.
Boasting of 19 orbital satellites, a maiden mission to Mars and a Moon rover set to be launched by SpaceX, UAE is now planning to study the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter over a period of three years. Al Qubaisi told TOI: тАЬWe will study seven different types of asteroids and it will help in understanding the composition of asteroids and especially the water composition,тАЭ he said, adding the Venus project is on the agency’s radar.
тАЬOur president, royal highness, has announced UAE National Space Fund a few months back that will be a major enabler for the space sector and will provide us with secure funding for many space projects, including the new constellation of satellites called тАШSirb that will be used for earth observation,” the UAE space agency director general said.
In an interview with TOI, Al Qubaisi said, тАЬIndia opening new public sector entities (IsroтАЩs commercial PSU NSIL and space regulator IN-SPACe) to encourage the private sector to have more access to its space infrastructure is a great opportunity. It also wants to open new partnerships with foreign players. This is an opportunity for the UAE too. Just like India, our mandate is to focus on developing our private sector.тАЭ
тАЬ I consider the launch of Nayif-1 (a UAE nanosatellite launched in 2017) by India as a transactional cooperation as it was a one-off. Thereafter Covid affected launches for over two years. There is always the question of the competitiveness and pricing issues (for satellite launch) but there are intangible benefits too. There are many opportunities for space cooperation between the two sides as both countries have strategic partnership,тАЭ the UAE agency director general said. He said he agreed with Israel President Issac Herzog who at the Abu Dhabi Space Debate, wanted a close space partnership between India, Israel and the UAE.
On whether the UAE will emulate India by using its space technology for improving ease of living just like smart city, farm and water management projects, Al Qubaisi said, тАЬWe are already working on this field as people are our priority. Our top priority is food and water security.тАЭ
Unfazed by western influence, Al Qubaisi said the UAE is ready to tie up with any country, including China, for space collaboration in “national interest”. тАЬFor us, it’s a ‘leo-political’ equation rather than a geopolitical situation in space cooperation,тАЭ he said.
Boasting of 19 orbital satellites, a maiden mission to Mars and a Moon rover set to be launched by SpaceX, UAE is now planning to study the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter over a period of three years. Al Qubaisi told TOI: тАЬWe will study seven different types of asteroids and it will help in understanding the composition of asteroids and especially the water composition,тАЭ he said, adding the Venus project is on the agency’s radar.
тАЬOur president, royal highness, has announced UAE National Space Fund a few months back that will be a major enabler for the space sector and will provide us with secure funding for many space projects, including the new constellation of satellites called тАШSirb that will be used for earth observation,” the UAE space agency director general said.
