KhalifaSat captures UAE's highest mountain from space

Emirati-made satellite beams back more familiar sights from the UAE during its journey through space

UAE satellite KhalifaSat captures a stunning image of Sharjah's largest mosque. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre 

KhalifaSat captures Jebel Jais from space. Courtesy MBR Space Centre

A photo of Love Lake in Dubai taken by UAE-made satellite KhalifaSat.  Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

An image of the Grand Mosque of Makkah was taken by KhalifaSat on the first day of Eid Al Adha during the 2019 Hajj pilgrimage. Wam

Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome in 2019. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office

An aerial image of Palm Jumeirah, taken from space by KhalifaSat in 2018. Courtesy: Dubai Media Office

An image from UAE's KhalifaSat, 600km in orbit, shows Beirut port after a blast levelled the entire district in August 2020. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, US in October 2019. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

Denpasar, the capital city of Bali in Indonesia, pictured by KhalifaSat in 2019. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

The port city of Wonsan in North Korea. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

A quiet Dubai International Airport during the coronavirus pandemic in April 2020. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

Milan in Italy pictured from space by KhalifaSat. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

Abu Dhabi's distinctive coastline. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

Dubai's recognisable coastline is pictured in 2020. Courtesy: Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre

The first Emirati-made satellite has captured a striking snapshot of the UAE's highest mountain.

KhalifaSat has been putting together a stellar photo album since blasting off into the skies in October, 2018.

The advanced Earth observation satellite's latest out of this world picture is of the Emirate's most formidable peak, Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah.

KhalifaSat didn't have to zoom in quite so close as usual, with the summit of the mountain proudly standing close to 1,900 metres above sea level.

The picture was shared on Twitter by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, using the hashtag #WorldsCoolestWinter, a nationwide domestic tourism campaign launched by Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid last month.

The campaign invites people to explore the hidden gems of the seven emirates and during its 45-day run – overseen by the Ministry of Economy in collaboration with local tourism entities – it aims to highlight the landmarks and attractions that distinguish every emirate and contribute to the UAE as a single destination.

Only last week, the satellite beamed back an image of Dubai's Love Lake.

It has previously sent back stunning pictures of Palm Jumeirah, Al Maktoum Stadium, Kingdom Centre, Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (the Prophet's Mosque), the Federal Territory Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and the Baikonur Cosmodrome, from where the first Emirati astronaut, Maj Hazza Al Mansouri, travelled during his space odyssey.