The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Space Agency can enhance collaboration with Russia in spheres of education and technology, Naser Al Rashedi, the Director of Space Policy and Regulations at the UAE Space Agency, told Sputnik.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th September, 2018) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Space Agency can enhance collaboration with Russia in spheres of education and technology, Naser Al Rashedi, the Director of Space Policy and Regulations at the UAE Space Agency, told Sputnik.
The UAE Space Agency, as part of the UAE Astronaut Programme, will send its first astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) on a Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft in April 2019.
"We see elements [for collaboration] now that are in the pipeline and that are under discussion, from technology, from space services technology as well as science and education. Discussion on some of these areas are mature and some site visits are being scheduled," Al Rashedi said.
Al Rashedi stated that the UAE Space Agency was already exploring the possibility of gaining access to various services, including remote sensing technology.
"There is a number of services that the Russian industry is providing, for example launch services, or remote sensing data, or a number of space services actually provided, we are already exploring having access to these services," Al Rashedi said.
Al Rashedi added that the UAE was also interested in sending its students to Russian institutions, such as Skoltech, to learn the Russian language and about astrophysics and space engineering.
"Now we are trying to get to know more about their education programs and how we could probably look at Russia, at one of the international institutes, where we could send our students to learn Russian and about space," Al Rashedi said.
Al Rashedi stated that the interest of the UAE space agency in Russia's space industry and state space agency Roscosmos, is due to the knowledge it could offer to the UAE and the potential to develop the UAE's capabilities.
The official noted that the UAE was collaborating with Roscosmos and NATA to fly at least four astronauts into space, with the first to be sent on a mission in April 2019.
"We think about at least four people total will be going through the full program. That will cover of course the normal training for astronauts... but at the same time the scientific training that they have to go through to be able to do the experiments that they need to accomplish," Al Rashedi said.
He stated that the key partners for the preparation of the astronauts for their space missions would be NASA and Roscosmos.
"We are collaborating with different international parties. Key ones today is NASA and Roscosmos and we are very proud, and very grateful for the true collaborations that we had from Roscosmos," Al Rashedi said.
The UAE Space Agency previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Roscosmos in 2015 to extend cooperation in space policy, human capital development and training between the two entities.
