(This was originally posted in Arab News)
DUBAI: The Saudi Space Commission is setting the terms of an initial agreement between the Kingdom and India on space cooperation, Asharq Al-Awsat has reported. The MoU will involve cooperation on the peaceful use of outer space between Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
Talks of an MoU between the pair started in March at a virtual bilateral discussion. “Both had discussions on initiating space cooperation in areas of mutual interest. The possibility of concluding country-level MoU for space cooperation was also discussed,” the Bengaluru-based ISRO said in a statement.
UAE SPACE PROGRAMME
Key goals of National Space Programme:
Following are the key goals of National Space Programme:
- Overseeing the realisation of the first scientific city on the Red Planet as part of the 2117 Mars programme. The city will also include a museum and laboratories for conducting zero-gravity experiments. It will also include a ‘Living on Mars’ project, which is an initiative to design and print the best buildings suitable for the Red Planet using 3D printing technology.
- Launching the Arab Space Discovery Programme, which intends to transfer knowledge and expertise in space sciences in collaboration with the Arab universities and institutions to benefit from brilliant Arab minds and to set common scientific plans for space discovery.
- Launching the UAE satellite-manufacturing complex to support UAE mission to reach Mars in 2021 and build its first settlement on the Red Planet by 2117.
Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre is responsible for developing National Space Programme in collaboration with international space partners.
National Space Programme was launched on 12 April 2017 by H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
