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Look: Dubai’s Palm Islands star in incredible photos of UAE coast taken from space

Japanese astronaut Wakata Koichi said they can be seen “very clearly” from the ISS as he shared photos on social media

Published: Tue 25 Oct 2022, 7:06 AM

Updated: Tue 25 Oct 2022, 10:56 AM

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A Japanese astronaut has captured the UAE’s coastline in all its glory from the International Space Station (ISS). Wakata Koichi said the Palm Islands of Dubai can be seen “very clearly” from the ISS as he shared shots of the “beautiful coast of the UAE”.

The two images show the man-made Palm-shaped islands and World Islands off Dubai, and the Abu Dhabi city.

Photos: Twitter

Photos: Twitter

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut said it’s his “honour” to serve as a member of the UAE Space Agency advisory committee. He had reached the ISS earlier this month for his fifth space mission.

The UAE is often captured from space by astronauts due to its unique coastline and landmarks. In August 2021, Nasa astronaut Shane Kimbrough shared images of Dubai captured from the ISS.

Photos: Instagram

Photos: Instagram

“Hello Dubai! I spy the Emirates Golf Club, a 36-hole golf course that was the first golf course in the region and was built in 1988. The Dubai Airport is in the second photo and is the world's busiest airport by international passenger traffic,” he posted on Instagram as he shared the images.

French astronaut Thomas Pesquet also shared images of the Palm he captured from the ISS. “When you see these palm trees from space, you know you are looking at Dubai!” he said as he posted the images on Twitter.

UAE's first astronaut Hazzaa AlMansoori captured some gorgeous photos of Emirati landmarks during his mission to the ISS in 2019. A photo of the UAE taken at night shows the brightly lit bustling cities, while it's relatively darker in the desert areas:

Photos: Twitter

Photos: Twitter

Another he posted showed the UAE’s distinct shape outlined on Earth:

The world will definitely see more of the UAE as seen from space when AlMansoori’s colleague, Sultan AlNeyadi, jets off to the ISS next year. He will become the first Arab astronaut to spend six months on the ISS. The SpaceX Crew-6 mission is scheduled for launch from Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre. AlNeyadi is expected to be onboard the ISS till September 2023.

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