KhalifaSat flight model nears manufacturing stage

Source: Government of Dubai Media
Office. 

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has announced the final design completion of the KhalifaSat Engineering Model in addition to the software and systems within the satellite. This Critical Design Review is the penultimate step prior to the manufacturing of the Flight Model of KhalifaSat, scheduled for launch in 2018 on MHI’s H-IIA launch vehicle, which is owned by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. In addition to the Flight Model of KhalifaSat, Emirati engineers will begin developing the ground station programmes that will manage all post-launch communication with the satellite.

HE Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, Director General, MBRSC, stated that “the completion of the final design of the engineering model by the KhalifaSat team is a major milestone, not only in developing this satellite; it is an achievement for the entire satellite manufacturing sector in the UAE. The success of Emirati engineers in leading and executing this project is a testament to the skills they gained from the previous two projects, especially since KhalifaSat is the first practical step in manufacturing an Emirati satellite built by Emirati expertise in Space Technology Laboratories in Dubai”.

Al Shaibani also stated that “under the support and guidance of our wise leadership and access to the right resources, the satellite manufacturing sector continues to grow in the UAE in line with the highest world-class standards and practices to enhance levels of production and competitiveness. All these efforts culminated in the realisation of the sectors’ strategic goals and future vision to play an active part in the enhancement of a sustainable local economy, building advanced scientific abilities and a world-class infrastructure to achieve a unique and leading position stemming from our leadership’s vision”.

“Under the leadership and direction of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of MBRSC and General Supervisor of all the Centre’s projects, strategic and development plans, we are confident that MBRSC is taking definitive steps towards laying strong foundations to enhance the UAE space sector’s competitiveness on regional and global levels, in a manner that accelerates Dubai and UAE’s leading position in the space industry," he said.

Engineer Amer Al Sayegh, Director of the Space Systems Development Department at MBRSC and KhalifaSat Project Manager, shared that the KhalifaSat team, comprising 68 Emirati engineers, has taken over a year to get to get to this stage. "We are proud of what we achieved thus far, yet we are even prouder that a large number of Emirati youth had the opportunity to experience the field of satellite manufacturing and technologies. Over the past year, the number of Emirati engineers working on this project increased by 50%, which is a positive indicator of MBRSC’s success in attracting Emirati capabilities. We hope to see this number increasing in the near future,” he said.

The KhalifaSat project features space innovations ranging from enhancements to the digital camera such as an improved light meter for better image resolution, and developing techniques to increase image download and communication speeds with the satellite anywhere in the world. Further enhancements include the development of satellite positioning techniques that allow capturing a higher number of 3D images, and the creation of a target positioning system with high-speed responses and an accurate location system. KhalifaSat innovations also includes the development of automatic satellite control system through upgrading the primary satellite computer’s operating system and increasing its storage capacity.