UAE ‘must take risks’ in space ventures

Agency gathering told failure can be a path to success.

Dr Charles Elachi says not learning from mistakes is the only failure explorers of space must face and overcome. Phil McCarten / Reuters

ABU DHABI // Taking risks and accepting failure are important points for the UAE’s fledgling space sector to note.

Speaking on the sidelines of the UAE Space Agency’s advisory committees meeting in the capital on Monday, one of its members said it was important not to fear making mistakes when dealing with space exploration.

“When you push the limits, there is always a possibility of failure and that should be acceptable – that’s the only way you can advance,” said Dr Charles Elachi, director of the Nasa Jet Propulsion Laboratory and vice president of the California Institute of Technology.

Dr Elachi joined the Nasa field centre in Pasadena, California, in 1970 and has headed the organisation for the last 15 years. He said he had seen his share of failures in that time.

“In the early days, when we started the programme for landing on the Moon, we had six failures before we had one success,” said Dr Elachi.

Of the 25 JPL launches during his tenure, he said two had failed, one of which was a mission to Mars that crashed.

“Of course it is different when you have only one mission but you learn from these mistakes and do better the next time,” Dr Elachi said.

With the goal of setting UAE’s space sector policy and exploring ways to transform the country into a regional space hub, the meeting – the committee’s second – brought together heads of the UAE Space Agency and space experts from across the globe.

The agency’s chairman, Dr Khalifa Al Romaithi, said the meeting would contribute to the drafting of a national space strategy by the end of the year. The strategy would aim to develop a strong and sustainable industry.

“It also must enhance Emirati talent, and help develop scientific and technical capabilities and nurture a culture of innovation and national pride,” he said.

Engaging Emirati youth and providing them with opportunities to study and work in the space sector is a central element in future policy, said Dr Tayeb Kamali, former director of the Higher Colleges of Technology.

He said that the UAE Space Agency is working with Emirati universities to further develop technical programmes and provide students with scholarships at home and abroad.

“You see the education curriculum being tailored to focus on the Stem [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] subjects and [there is] tremendous support and commitment to developing research and development,” he said.

Dr Elachi said for the UAE’s space programme to be successful it needed to encourage students and universities to get involved, and laws and policies to encourage innovation.

“It looks like all the elements needed for success are already in place here,” he said.