The UAE recently marked 25 years since the launch of its first satellite, Thuraya 1. That mission, which began as a practical effort to improve communications, marked the beginning of a high-profile journey for the world’s leading local players. As we look forward to the next era of space exploration, the anniversary provides an opportunity to look back and forward, question what we’ve learned, and where we’re going next.
In 2000, I was a student in India, fascinated by the night sky but far from any laboratory. At the time, the UAE’s involvement in the space was largely commercial. It bought technology from abroad, used it successfully, and focused on solving problems here in the world. Over the years, a purpose emerged. The country realized that the space could be more than the service sector. It can be a driver of science, innovation, and self-confidence of the country. Institutions such as the Emirates Center for Evert Science and Technology, established in 2006 and incorporated into the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) in 2015, while the UAE Space Agency began building home-grown capabilities.
From those first satellites, the UAE expanded its reach to Mars, the moon, and soon the asteroid belt. Each activity taught new lessons, turning cooperation into expertise. When the Emirates Mars project was established, it was an international collaboration, with the aim of learning and building capacity. Now that the information has come home. The upcoming Emirates Mission to the asteroid belt will be led from the UAE, with Emirati teams running science and operations. This from user to user to developer in Explorer has been intentional, and it works.
In New Abu Dhabi, I see every day how this place supports science. My research group has built a planetary simulation room where we can recreate conditions found on Mars, the moon and the asteroid belt. We use the same chemical model of lunar dust, which we did in our lab, and we can change the pressure, temperature, and radiation levels to test the instruments before flight. We also study the Martian Meteorite found in Morocco. It’s our first piece of Mars in the lab, and it helps us understand how it formed and moved through space before reaching Earth. This is detailed, patient work, but that’s exactly what turns ideas into machines.
One advantage of working here is speed. When my team was building the Rashid 2 Lunar Rover tests and a problem came up, we could drive from Abu Dhabi to the space center in Dubai and fix it together that day. The small size of the country and open communication make cooperation easier and faster than many large systems. Another benefit is not learning. The leadership here is young and open to new ideas. That willingness to try to be wise is essential to the progress of science.
My own research examines how life survives beneath the surface of other worlds. High-energy cosmic rays can split water molecules underground, releasing electrons that certain bacteria can use as energy. This process, called radiolysis, could make life possible in dark, cold places like Mars or the cold moons of Jupiter and Saturn. To test that concept, future missions will require drilling one or two meters below the surface, an area the UAE can help test with new instruments, sensors, and data systems tested in our labs.
Every major space project strengthens capabilities far beyond science. Engineers and managers who deliver on complex journeys learn to solve problems systematically and work across orders. When they enter other fields, they bring those thoughts with them. This is how space programs build wider Space Economies.
The next phase should focus on integration and continuity. Universities, schools, and the National Space program can be very effective for students to participate in real meetings, not only in classrooms, but in the creation, and analysis of data. When new people handle real data, they often see patterns that others miss. We also need strong bridges between universities and local industry. Emirati companies develop satellites and platforms, but formal internships and research partnerships remain rare. Building those links will help turn lab results into new technologies and businesses.
To support progress, Space efforts need to be both sustainable and long-term. Deep space deployments take decades, so funding, goals, and roadmaps must remain consistent even as leadership changes. If I could set one bold goal in 2050, it would be to prepare for human travel to Mars, not just as a spomblic bup, but as a scientific discovery and as an active driver of innovation. Sending people safely to Mars will require breakthroughs in life support, resource management, sustainable food production, 3D printing of materials and medicine, and AI. All those technologies would help life on earth. And, like the Apollo program, inspiration alone can transform society.
Twenty-five years after Thuraya 1, the UAE has shown it can go from buying space services to building and using them for purpose. On earth science day, as I work with my students to recreate lunar and Martian conditions in the lab, I am reminded of how far the world has come. The UAE has created an environment where science moves fast, ideas can grow, and discovery and experience can be achieved. If we keep that spirit alive, the next 25 years will not only mark many reminders. They will bring answers.
