813 satellite: First pan-Arab space project to launch next summer aboard Chinese rocket

The small satellite is going to orbit more than five years after the project was announced

A Long March-6 carrier rocket takes off with 10 commercial satellites aboard from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in Shanxi Province, northern China, on September 6, 2024. EPA

A small satellite developed by a consortium of Arab nations is ready to lift off aboard a Chinese carrier rocket in June 2025.

The Earth observation satellite called 813 was announced in 2019 with hopes of bringing Arab nations together and increasing their space industries' capabilities. The satellite is named after the year 813AD, which marked the start of scientific achievements for the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, ushering the Arab world into a period of significant intellectual advancement, referred to as the Islamic Golden Era.

Eiman Al Shamsi, project manager at the UAE University’s National Space Science and Technology Centre in Al Ain, told The National on Tuesday that the satellite would be launched on a Chinese rideshare mission. She said that research institutions from China have helped to develop the satellite payload and negotiate a carrier rocket contract.

“We have taken our time studying the concept of the programme because it's a hyperspectral project, and hyperspectral technology is new to us, and in general, to the space sector,” Ms Al Shamsi said when asked about why project has faced delays.

“Very few countries have worked and developed payloads of this kind of technology, so it took us some time to understand it and to map our requirements with the design of the payload.”

Hyperspectral sensors capture data across many wavelengths, providing detailed information that can help in areas like Earth observation, mineral exploration and environmental monitoring. Several engineers and scientists have taken part in designing and developing the 260kg satellite, including Emiratis as well as teams from Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Sudan, Lebanon and Oman.

Sultan Al Zeidi, senior engineer for space projects development at the UAE Space Agency, told The National that Arab engineers would benefit from the knowledge gained through this.

“You’re talking about the space technology – it's going to be an asset for us to tackle different challenges and provide solutions based on satellite data,” he said.

Observations from the satellite would help monitor agriculture patterns and water resources across the Arab region – particularly Sudan, which has experienced severe droughts in recent years. The country has faced prolonged dry spells, worsened by climate change, leading to crop failures and water shortages that have severely curtailed agricultural production and livelihoods.

The satellite is being developed at the University’s National Space Science and Technology Centre.

It is not yet clear which exact Chinese rocket the satellite would fly on, but the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation operates several rideshare missions, including using the Long March-6, Long March-8 and Long March-2D carrier rockets.

The project is part of the Arab Space Co-operation Group, also launched in 2019 to increase collaboration among Arab countries. Member countries held their 10th group meeting at the New Space Horizons – Africa and the Middle East space conference in Egypt this week.

“It [the 813 satellite] stands as a symbol of Arab unity and our ability to achieve shared scientific accomplishments,” UAE Space Agency chief Salem Butti Al Qubaisi said.

“The Arab Space Group meeting provides an ideal opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences and promote Arab co-operation in vital areas, including the space sector, which has become an urgent necessity and one of the key factors in shaping our shared future.”