Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center prepares to launch the first radar satellite, "Etihad Sat"

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center is preparing to launch the satellite, "Etihad Sat", which is the first radar satellite affiliated with the center, and was developed in cooperation with the South Korean company "Satrek Initiative". The satellite will be launched on board the "Falcon 9" rocket, affiliated with the American company "SpaceX", from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, USA. The satellite's journey is expected to take two hours after launch to reach its orbit and receive its first signal.

The satellite "Etihad Sat", which has a lifespan of three years, provides new technical solutions by relying on the radar imaging system, as specialized data via radar technology, and includes a storage space of approximately 130 gigabytes to collect the largest amount of images.

It is characterized by its high-precision imaging in different areas, and the weight of the satellite is 220 kg. It will be monitored from the control center at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, where all the existing tests have been prepared and the satellite has been sent to the launch base, with SpaceX being given the authority to install it on the platform.

The satellite operates in its orbit at an altitude of 500 km above the Earth's surface, and the satellite provides 3 imaging modes: precise imaging of small areas, wide coverage of large areas, and extended monitoring of longer areas. All these technologies make it a vital tool for serving multiple sectors, starting from detecting oil leaks, through managing natural disasters, tracking maritime traffic, supporting smart agriculture, and accurate environmental monitoring.

EtihadSat represents a quantum leap in the satellite development program of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, as it is the first of its kind, and is equipped with radar imaging technology, which enhances the center's capabilities in the field of Earth observation with the latest technologies, especially since it possesses the latest technologies in the field of high-resolution imaging in all weather conditions, and it will support five main vital sectors, starting with detecting oil leaks, through managing natural disasters, tracking maritime traffic, supporting smart agriculture, and accurate environmental monitoring.

The satellite reflects the UAE's commitment to enhancing its capabilities in the space sector, by adopting the latest advanced technologies in the field of satellite development, as the addition of a radar satellite expands the capabilities of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center team in providing solutions that support our journey towards a knowledge-based and innovation-based economy. The satellite is also an opportunity to add new technologies to the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center that were not used before, represented by radar imaging, which relies on technology to send electromagnetic waves to image the Earth's surface with different technologies, capturing images of various areas under different conditions.

Radar technology does not depend on day and night, unlike the technologies that were previously available and worked by imaging with lenses, depending on sunlight, as radar imaging technology is one of the advanced imaging technologies that enables satellites to capture high-resolution images of the Earth's surface in all conditions, regardless of the weather or time of day, unlike traditional cameras, radar imaging technology relies on radar waves that allow seeing beyond clouds, darkness, and even rain.

50 engineers worked on completing the satellite, with roles ranging from developing a special camera for the satellite to controlling programs at the ground station.