US-UAE space cooperation a ‘win-win’, says Business Council president

Launched from Tanegashima, Japan in July 2020, the UAE’s Hope Probe is slated to enter Mars’ orbit on February 9 after a seven-month journey through outer space.

It will spend a total of one year gathering data on the planet, which is equivalent to 687 days on earth. The mission also marks the 50th anniversary of the UAE’s foundation as an independent nation in 1971.

In the US, scientific and business leaders have lauded the mission as a symbol of the close ties between institutions with counterparts in the UAE. The spacecraft was built in tandem with the University of Colorado Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP).

“US and UAE coordination and cooperation between NASA and the UAE Space Agency on the Hope Mission to Maras has been extensive since the genesis of the UAE program,” Sebright told Arabian Business in an interview.

“US companies also have been the choice for key components and technologies on the Hope Probe,” Sebright added. “As the UAE continues to broaden and expand its space exploration programmes, opportunities for even deeper and broader cooperation abound. The mutual benefit to both countries and indeed the world is boundless.”

US-UAE Business Council president Danny Sebright

The Mars mission is one of a number of space-related initiatives currently being conducted by the UAE. Additionally, UAE authorities have announced plans to build a human colony on Mars by 2117 and to send an unmanned rover to the Moon in 2024.

Looking towards the future, Sebright said that he believes there will be ample opportunity for increased cooperation – and potential business – between American and Emirati organisations involved in space exploration and technology.

“As UAE business ownership laws and regulations evolve, the opportunity for even more US companies to set up 100 percent US-owned entities in the UAE allow for more STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] partnerships in education and research and development,” he added. “Partnerships in this area between US and UAE colleges and universities are also poised for greater expansion.”

Part of this expanded relationship, Sebright added, is helping prepare young Emiratis for careers in space exploration, technology and other high-tech industries.

The spacecraft was built in tandem with the University of Colorado Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP)

“Many large multi-national US companies are heavily invested on the ground in the UAE and are committed to helping train Emirati youth for the future in STEM so as to be better positioned to help lead their local business operations and to assist in technology development that is directly applicable to the UAE and wider Gulf marketplace,” Sebright said.

“UAE students in US universities [are] also always available to participate in appropriate US-based internships with these companies,” he added. “These sorts of partnerships are a win-win for the US and the UAE in the long-term.”

Space exploration has been identified as a key pillar of growth by UAE authorities.

In September, a whitepaper released by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce of Industry identified the space industry as one of the country’s most promising sectors over the next 50 years.

The report identified 10 potentially lucrative areas of the space economy, including space mining, space settlements, space-focused sustainability and recycling and space tourism.

It also noted that private-public partnerships across countries could work together to develop a number of sub-sectors within the wider space umbrella, including satellite servicing, robotic mining, wireless power and earth data visualisation.