Dubai - KhalifaSat has already been placed onto the launcher and is waiting for lift-off from Japan's island of Tanegashima.
Published: Tue 23 Oct 2018, 8:00 PM
Updated: Tue 23 Oct 2018, 10:06 PM
It's going to be sleepless nights and lots of hard work for engineers at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) for the next five days as they prepare to launch their first in-house developed satellite into space on October 29.
KhalifaSat has already been placed onto the launcher and is waiting for lift-off from Japan's island of Tanegashima. The satellite, which is the first one fully developed by a team of Emirati engineers, will be launched at exactly 8.08am (UAE time) and will capture high-quality images once it goes live in orbit.
A team of 10 engineers from the MBRSC are on the ground in Japan, where they are monitoring the progress of the satellite's launch.
The director of the space systems development department and the project manager of KhalifaSat at the MBRSC, Amer Al Sayegh, told Khaleej Times that the launch is on schedule, as all the tests and checks have shown "positive results".
"We've crossed most of the critical steps towards the launch, which means we have shipped the satellite successfully and we've done our pre-integration testing," Al Sayegh said.
"We integrated the satellites with the launch vehicle itself. So, KhalifaSat was put on the launcher, clamped with a ring, and that is our integration mechanism with the launcher - it holds the satellite with the launcher. We also tested and integrated the spacecraft electrically with the launch vehicle, so that during the launch, the launcher will unclamp first and push the satellite away from itself."
These few days leading up to the launch, the UAE engineers in Japan are making daily inspections of KhalifaSat to ensure it remains ready for its 23-minute-long flight into Earth's orbit.
However, it's the 12 hours prior to the launch and the launch day itself that will prove to be the "most challenging, yet exciting" for the engineers, according to Al Sayegh, as they cannot leave the site of the launch. "Around 12 hours before the launch event, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the MBRSC will make the final decision to go ahead with the launch and that is after reviewing all the reports from the previous days, the weather reports, and the readiness of the launch itself," he said.
"Everything will be done and fuelling will start. The launcher will start fuelling its own engines and, at the same time, our team will be staying in the bunker very close to the launcher to monitor everything. At this time, the team will not be able to leave the bunker because it's too risky for them before the launch."
Some of the engineers will be inside the control room with the Japanese team during the take-off. Meanwhile, another team will be active at MBRSC's control room in Dubai to monitor the progress of the flight. The flight will also be streamed live on MBRSC's YouTube channel.
What are KhalifaSat images for?
Through KhalifaSat, the MBRSC will continue to provide free images for the UAE government and local government entities. International customers, on the other hand, will have to pay for the centre's services.
If the services are related to humanitarian causes, however, the centre will offer free images.
"At the moment, we give our data to the UAE government and local entities for free and this is something we are proud of," he said. "When it comes to international customers, we will continue to give service and we have our existing operation agreements. We have customers who are already asking us to do value-added services for them by doing our own analysis and reports. We are also involved with international organisations to focus on disaster management. Imagery is essential when it comes to disasters all over the world," the MBRSC said.
"There is a great significance when it comes to the UAE proving its capabilities. The UAE is putting its name on the global map and saying that this country is thriving in space with great missions. At the same time, it proves that the country is moving forward in enabling its own people and the youth, trusting its team and creating results. Scientifically and technically, this will be the first UAE-developed technology that will be in space. The camera that we put on KhalifaSat is much improved from our previous missions. We have a lot of our existing users and customers of satellite images keen to look at KhalifaSat images because it will provide highly accurate image data."
Advanced features of KhalifaSat
>Faster download and communication
The satellite will be able to download and communicate faster from its position anywhere over the world
>Advanced target positioning system
This makes the satellite the most advanced in its weight class in terms of the highest quality of image, captured with pinpoint accuracy and super quick speed response
>Enhanced digital camera
Engineers incorporated an advanced light meter for better resolution
>Satellite positioning system
Developments have also been made on satellite positioning techniques, which will allow the capture of a large number of 3D images
>Automatic satellite control system
This has been developed by upgrading the primary satellite computer operating system, and increasing its storage capacity
KT NANO EDIT
Tryst with space
October 29 will be a watershed for the UAE. The launch of KhalifaSat signals the coming of age of the space industry in the UAE as it establishes the nation as one of the world's leading manufacturers and developers of satellites. A remarkable feat for a fledgling nation whose dreams for a relationship with space will become a reality on its 50th anniversary when the spacecraft Hope arrives to orbit Mars.
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com
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