The UAE is moving closer to building and operating its own advanced satellites, with a new project designed to monitor the Earth from space expected to launch in 2028.
The country’s first synthetic aperture radar satellite, called Sirb-1, has just passed an important design stage, meaning engineers can now move towards building the spacecraft ahead of its planned launch.
Sirb-1 is not a spacecraft designed to carry astronauts. Instead, it is an Earth-observation satellite that will use radar technology to take detailed images of the planet, helping governments and businesses monitor everything from ships and infrastructure to agriculture and the environment.
The latest announcement from the UAE Space Agency and EDGE Group means the satellite’s design has been fully reviewed and approved, known as a Critical Design Review, or CDR.
The next steps will involve manufacturing its components, assembling the satellite and testing its systems to make sure everything works before it is sent into orbit.
Innovative technology
What makes Sirb-1 particularly interesting is the technology it will use. Unlike ordinary cameras, which need daylight and clear visibility to capture images, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sends out its own radar signals and measures what bounces back from the Earth’s surface.
This means it can collect information at night and through cloud cover, haze and dust – conditions that can make conventional satellite images difficult to use.
The technology has a wide range of potential applications. It could help monitor shipping movements and maritime activity, track changes to buildings and infrastructure, support agricultural planning, observe environmental changes and provide information during natural disasters.
The programme is being led by the UAE Space Agency, with EDGE Group’s FADA acting as the main contractor.
Other organisations involved include the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) and Orbitworks, bringing together several UAE-based companies and research organisations.
Activity on Earth
Sirb-1 is also intended to be the first satellite in a wider constellation, meaning a group of satellites working together in orbit. This could eventually allow the UAE to collect more frequent and detailed information about activity and changes on Earth.
The project is about more than putting another satellite into space. It is part of a wider ambition to develop a home-grown space industry, with the UAE building the skills, technology and manufacturing capabilities needed to design and produce sophisticated spacecraft.
That could create opportunities for local companies in engineering, electronics, software and data analysis, while opening the door to commercial services selling satellite information to governments and businesses.
Earth-observation data is becoming increasingly valuable to industries ranging from energy and shipping to insurance, construction and agriculture, all of which rely on accurate information about the world around them.
The UAE has already established itself in space exploration through projects including its Mars mission. Sirb-1 represents a different ambition: developing the technology to build and operate satellites that deliver practical information back to Earth.
With manufacturing and testing now the next priority, the target is to launch Sirb-1 in 2028. It will be another milestone in the UAE’s effort to move beyond exploring space and become a country capable of building the technology that operates within it.
