Policy and Law

Iran’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology (CIT) announced in September that Iran will increase its collaborative efforts with the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organisation (APSCO). APSCO’s Secretary General, Li Xinjun, recently voiced his approval of Iran’s advancements in its technology sector, and indicated this was the reason the organisation is …

Further to last week’s report that the UAE is in discussions with Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, about training and launching Emirati astronauts, further details have emerged out of the 68th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) held in Adelaide, Australia, about the strategic rationale behind the UAE’s human spaceflight programme. Quoted in …

Minister of State for Higher Education and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, said that hosting the 71st International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in the UAE in 2020 will highlight the outstanding status of the UAE’s national space sector. He also said that winning the …

As more countries around the world look to develop their own space capabilities, organisations, and policies, SpaceWatch Middle East’s Editor-in-Chief, Helen Jameson, examines the importance of technology transfer in developing space power in the Middle East and Africa. Space. It’s becoming a priority, and the fascination and realisation that what …

The Egyptian Council of Ministers approved on September 27, 2017, the establishment of a national space agency, according to the Egyptian Minister for Higher Education Khaled Abdel Ghaffar. The ruling by the Council of Ministers will now pass on to the Egyptian parliament for final agreement and made into law. …

Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, have launched the Mars Science City project. The AED500-million City will …

Russian news outlets TASS and Pravda are reporting that the UAE Space Agency and Roscosmos have held talks at the 68th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Adelaide, Australia, about training Emirati astronauts and then launching them from Russian soil to the International Space Station (ISS) as early as 2019. Sergey …

Iran’s test launch of its Simorgh space launch vehicle (SLV) on July 27, 2017, caused significant yet unsurprising controversy throughout the international community. Two months later, with the dust literally settling, Natalie Fuchs – SpaceWatch Middle East’s contributing editor on all things Iranian space – argues that it is possible that the U.S., its …

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) will participate in the 68th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Adelaide, Australia, between September 25-29, 2017. The IAC is one of the leading space conferences worldwide, attended by presidents and CEOs of international space agencies, decision makers, researchers, academics, and professionals in the …

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has launched the first edition of Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre Science Event (MBRSC Science Event), that will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, …