Middle East

On July 19, the UAE successfully launched the first Arab mission to Mars — plans for which were first announced in 2014.

At least 100 people have died and 4,000 people have been wounded in a massive explosion in Beirut, Lebanon on Tuesday 4th August 2020.

In this week’s Space Cafè WebTalk, Christopher Johnson, Space Law Advisor at the Secure World Foundation talked about issues of developing the next phase of governance for space activities.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, chaired the first physical meeting of the new cabinet at the Presidential Place in Abu Dhabi, after a series of remote meetings.

The Austrian Space Forum (OeWF) announced the postponement of its international Mars analog mission “AMADEE-20”. The simulation of a crewed mission to the Red Planet was originally scheduled to take place later this year in October in Israel.

A project office of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, UNOOSA, to be opened in Abu Dhabi later this year, will develop a database of space-based solutions to help achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, according to a top official.

Specialists in space security constantly call for more robust norms of behaviour in outer space. As the number of users and uses of space grows, the calls get louder and more urgent. Meanwhile, many states claim to want the same thing. Canada’s national defence policy, “Strong, Secure, Engaged,” for example, aims to “provide leadership in shaping international norms f

Their Highnesses honoured the team members for their exceptional achievement, which culminated in the successful launch of the Probe as the first-ever Arab interplanetary exploration mission to Mars to coincide with the nation’s 50th anniversary.

The UAE’s space programmes, especially the successful launch of its Mars Mission, will give a fillip to Asia’s lead in fourth Industrial revolution and make the Emirates "a big stakeholder in the development of developing countries across the globe," a senior academic told Emirates News Agency, WAM.

In this week’s Space Cafè WebTalk, Salem Al Marri, Assistant Director General for Scientific and Technical Affairs, Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in Dubai