UAE’s Masdar Institute Graduates First Class From Its MSc Space Systems Course

Yahsat, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and Orbital ATK, today celebrated the graduation ceremony of the first batch from the Institute’s Master’s Concentration in Space Systems and Technology at the Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi, today.

The ceremony was attended by H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court and member of the Executive Council, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, Dr. Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and CEO of the ADNOC Group, Shamma bint Sohail Faris AlMazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Dr. Ernest Jeffrey Moniz, former U.S. Secretary of Energy, Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, CEO of Yahsat, Mounir Barakat, Executive Director Information and Communications Technology at Mubadala Investment Company, and David W. Thompson, CEO of Orbital ATK.

The concentration was launched at Masdar Institute in collaboration with Yahsat and Orbital ATK, a leading American aerospace manufacturing company, in response to the country’s space exploration and sector goals.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Executive Officer at Yahsat said, ‘Today is the day to celebrate the hard work and dedication of the students who have successfully completed a rigorous, advanced programme in space engineering. To advance the UAE’s space ambitions further, it is essential to focus on the development of our youth; our graduates are the future leaders of this country and I strongly believe that this programme offers students a solid foundation to launch their career and realise their full potential.”

The Space Systems and Technology Concentration, which was launched in May 2015, is the first of its kind in the region. Through the programme, Yahsat and Orbital ATK provide expert guidance, testing facilities and research assistance to concentration students to enable them to learn and successfully apply fundamental concepts of science and engineering.

Dr. Behjat Al Yousuf, Interim Provost at Masdar Institute, said, “It’s Masdar’s 10th anniversary year, and on this very important day we witness the graduation of the first batch of students from our Master’s Concentration in Space Systems and Technology. These talented UAE national graduates have answered the leadership’s call and put in hard work to gain the skills they need to contribute to UAE’s advanced space ambitions. I would like to thank Yahsat for their partnership and commitment to training these pioneers in space technology. We look forward to seeing what their futures hold, and how they will support the UAE’s growing space sector.”

As part of the concentration, students completed coursework and conducted research in areas to support the UAE national space programme and space-related industries. Through their studies, the graduates have learned topics ranging from the development, assessment and characterisation of photovoltaic technologies for CubeSats to planning and conducting CubeSat missions. They have also studied the infrastructure needs for space missions, including regulation and policies for satellite networks, and worked on technologies such as advanced antenna arrays for satellite communications and the fabrication and characterisation of a three-dimensional printed gyroscope for aerospace applications.

Orbital ATK’s President and CEO, David W. Thompson, said, “For the past two years Orbital ATK subject matter experts have worked with the Masdar students and we have seen them grow in their expertise and skills through the Space Systems and Technology programme. Today is the culmination of their hard work and we offer the students and their families congratulations on their achievements. We look forward to the contributions these students will make to the country’s new space programme.”

Original published at: https://spacewatch.global/2017/05/uaes-masdar-institute-graduates-first-class-msc-space-systems-course/