MBZ-Sat to launch in October after Sheikh Hamdan approval

Region’s most advanced imaging satellite is equipped with one of the world's most powerful cameras

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, visits the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre. Dubai Media Office

The UAE has announced the launch date for the region's most advanced imaging satellite.

MBZ-Sat will be launched in October, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, confirmed on Wednesday.

He spoke after visiting the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, where he met staff and approved the plans.

“We are proud that the satellite was built by a team of Emirati engineers and we thank the bright minds behind these great achievements that are turning our ambitions into reality,” Sheikh Hamdan wrote on X.

Named after President Sheikh Mohamed, the satellite has been under development at MBRSC in Dubai for years.

MBZ-Sat will offer high resolution images round-the-clock for entities worldwide.

About 90 per cent of the satellite’s mechanical structures and most of its electronic modules were locally manufactured.

On Wednesday, Sheikh Hamdan was briefed on the satellite's development, its capabilities, and the strategic plan for its deployment.

“We are on the brink of a transformative era in space exploration, and the upcoming launch of MBZ-Sat marks a pivotal moment that affirms the UAE’s growing influence as a significant global contributor to the field of space technology,” he said.

Sheikh Hamdan also visited the clean room holding MBZ-Sat and signed a plaque bearing the satellite’s logo.

With development completed, the next phase for the satellite involves environmental testing, which is crucial to ensuring its resilience and functionality in space. Once this is successfully carried out, final launch preparations will commence.

The satellite is equipped with one of the most powerful cameras developed in the region, and can capture high-resolution images with unprecedented clarity, covering areas less than one square metre in size.

This imagery solution can support a wide variety of uses within mapping and analysis, environmental monitoring, navigation, infrastructure management and disaster relief efforts.

Following its launch, MBZ-Sat will be operated and monitored from the Mission Control Centre at MBRSC.