ABU DHABI // Yahsat, the satellite development firm, has picked an Emirati engineering student to watch the launch of Abu Dhabi's first commercial satellite from South America this week.
Shamma al Dahmani's essay on the benefits of satellite communications and her interest in wireless engineering was picked from 160 submissions. Her prize was an all-expenses-paid trip to French Guiana to watch the satellite lift off. The launch is scheduled for March 31 at 3am UAE time.
"Shamma was selected for her insightful and passionate response," said Jassem Mohamed al Zaabi, the Yahsat chief executive. "We could tell from this submission that participating in this opportunity would provide fantastic exposure for Shamma to continue to investigate her interest in satellite communications."
Ms al Dahmani, 21, said in her essay that she was proud of the country's move to build a satellite communications industry. Yahsat, owned by Mubadala Development, the Abu Dhabi Government's strategic investment company, is spending Dh2.2 billion on the satellite, which will provide commercial television and broadband internet services to 20 countries.
Yahsat's new website for the launch, yahsatlaunch.ae, has details of the event and the satellite's orbit. The site will continue competitions for giveaways of iPad computers until tomorrow.
econroy@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
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The biog
Age: 23
Occupation: Founder of the Studio, formerly an analyst at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Education: Bachelor of science in industrial engineering
Favourite hobby: playing the piano
Favourite quote: "There is a key to every door and a dawn to every dark night"
Family: Married and with a daughter
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What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs: 2018 Bentley Bentayga V8
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Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 550hp @ 6,000pm
Torque: 770Nm @ 1,960rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million