Geopolitics

As part of a wider effort to strengthen cooperation with educational entities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) in order to develop qualified national human resources to work in the …

Iranian officials are in talks with Italy for the return of the Iranian Mesbah (Farsi for ‘Lantern’) satellite, according to the head of the Iranian Space Agency Mohsen Bahrami. The Mesbah satellite was seized by Italy and Russia just prior to its scheduled launch in 2006, due to the imposition …

Luxembourg may be one of the tiniest nations on Earth, but it’s ambitions to go where no one ever went, notably into deep space, are truly out of this world. Already amongst the top-ten space-faring nations worldwide, Luxembourg on 3 June 2016 announced that the Grand-Duchy is resolutely forging ahead with …

The latest round of cyber skirmishes that have erupted between Iranian and Saudi Arabian hackers is a timely reminder that Middle Eastern satellites and their operators are vulnerable to more sophisticated cyber attacks. ThorGroup’s Dr. John B. Sheldon explores this often discussed yet poorly understood threat to space systems. On …

Iran’s defence minister, Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan, has claimed that Iran has created a Local Positioning System (LPS) making Iran independent from any reliance on the US Global Positioning System (GPS). Brigadier General Dehghan told Iranian journalists that LPS consists of five high-powered transmitters located around Iran that can provide …

Lockheed Martin, Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Arabsat), and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) in Saudi Arabia have successfully completed a comprehensive technical review of ARABSAT-6A and Hellas-Sat-4/SaudiGeoSat-1, two satellites that will provide television, internet, telephone and secure communications, to customers in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. …

The UAE Space Agency has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Kazakhstan, defining a framework for collaboration and the exchange of information and expertise in the fields of space science, research, and technology. The MoU was signed at the National Space Centre of Kazakhstan by H.E. …

Berlin, 30 May 2016 – The ILA Berlin Air Show is now even more firmly established as a platform for presenting innovations covering all aspects of the world’s aerospace industry. From 1 to 4 June the ILA 2016 will feature the latest aircraft, innovative hi-tech products and technology, and a …

The United Arab Emirates Space Agency hosted its second meeting of the agency’s Advisory Committee in Abu Dhabi on 22-23 May 2016. The UAE Space Agency’s Advisory Committee, comprising leading experts on space policy from around the world, were hosted in Abu Dhabi by Dr. Khalifa Al Romaithi, Chairman of …

The Middle East is set to benefit from multiple global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) currently under development by China, India, Europe, Russia, and the United States. The United States especially is a global GNSS powerhouse, and US aerospace company Lockheed Martin is developing the next generation US GNSS capability, Global …