UAE University Launches New Satellite to Advance Environmental Protection and Space Research

The United Arab Emirates University has successfully launched a new satellite designed to support environmental protection work. State news agency Wam reported on Monday that the SEO satellite lifted off on Sunday aboard a carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in China. The announcement of the launch was made by the National Space and Science Technology Centre at the university.

According to Wam, the satellite will play an essential role in the centre's efforts to develop national space projects and advance UAE ambitions in science, technology, and innovation. The mission is structured to support research and technology linked to sustainability and future development by supplying vital data for environmental protection, natural resource management, planning, and decision-making.

Salem Al Qubaisi, director general of the UAE Space Agency, stated that the launch aligns with the UAE's vision and National Space Strategy to elevate the country's standing among global leaders in the space sector. He noted that the mission expands the contribution of advanced science and technology to sustainable development and the knowledge economy, while also highlighting the importance of cooperation between national and academic institutions.

Dr Nabil Mohammed Al Bastaki, director of the National Space and Science Technology Centre, mentioned that the SEO project provides researchers and engineers with practical expertise in satellite design, development, and operations. Developed in cooperation with partners in China, the project actively involved Emirati engineers, researchers, and students across all stages.

This mission follows the July launch of another satellite designed by the national centre. Leonav-1, supported and funded by the UAE Space Agency, forms part of a broader mission to develop satellite navigation systems capable of operating in low-Earth orbit. A booming satellite industry remains central to sustaining the growth of the UAE's space sector.

In June, Abu Dhabi-based Space42 announced that a cluster of satellites aimed at bolstering disaster responses and tackling climate change had become fully operational. The trio, known as Foresight-3, Foresight-4, and Foresight-5, utilizes advanced-radar technology to capture high-resolution images of the Earth's surface under all conditions, day or night. Launched into orbit aboard a SpaceX rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida, these spacecraft expanded Space42's Foresight Earth Observation constellation to five synthetic aperture radar satellites.

The UAE launched its first satellite, Thuraya-1, on October 21, 2000. Built by Boeing and commissioned by Thuraya Telecommunications Company in Abu Dhabi, it was propelled into space on a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket from a mobile platform in the Pacific.

Since the launch of Thuraya-1, dozens of satellites and spacecraft have been launched by the UAE, with some built domestically, including the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre’s KhalifaSat and MBZ-Sat Earth observation satellites. In May, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, introduced the Dh1 billion ($272.2 million) International Space Co-operation Programme. Furthermore, in October 2025, the UAE Space Agency unveiled a digital platform providing researchers, students, and start-ups with access to satellite images by partnering with Space42 to connect users to data from over 300 satellites operated by organizations such as Nasa, the European Space Agency, and Maxar.