Overview
The UAE Space Agency (UAESA), founded in 2014 and based in Abu Dhabi, directs the Arab world's most ambitious space programme. It works in tandem with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in Dubai — the engineering house founded in 2006 that builds the satellites, trains the astronauts and operates the missions the agency charts.
The programme's calling card is Hope (Al Amal), the Emirates Mars Mission that entered Mars orbit in February 2021 — the first interplanetary mission by any Arab nation — and continues to map the planet's atmosphere. Emirati astronauts have flown twice, including Sultan AlNeyadi's six-month ISS expedition in 2023 with the first Arab spacewalk, and the MBZ-SAT imaging satellite, launched in 2025, is among the most capable commercial-grade imagers in the region. Next up: the MBR Explorer, a seven-asteroid tour of the main belt targeted for launch around 2028.
Quick Facts
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | United Arab Emirates Space Agency |
| Abbreviation | UAESA |
| Country | United Arab Emirates |
| Headquarters | Abu Dhabi |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Head | Salem Butti Al Qubaisi (Director General) |
| Sister Organisation | Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), Dubai — est. 2006 |
| Crewed Capability | No (astronauts fly on partner vehicles) |
| Website | www.space.gov.ae |
Key Programmes
Emirates Mars Mission — Hope
Launched July 2020, in Mars orbit since February 2021. Hope's high orbit lets it watch full Martian daily and seasonal weather cycles — a first for any Mars mission.
Astronaut programme
Hazzaa AlMansoori became the first Emirati in space in 2019; Sultan AlNeyadi's 2023 ISS expedition included the first spacewalk by an Arab astronaut. The corps trains alongside NASA astronaut classes.
MBZ-SAT & Earth observation
MBZ-SAT, launched January 2025, is MBRSC's most advanced imaging satellite, following KhalifaSat (2018) — the first satellite fully built by Emirati engineers. The Sirb radar constellation comes next.
MBR Explorer
A planned tour of seven main-belt asteroids, targeted to launch around 2028 with a landing attempt on the final target in the 2030s.
Lunar exploration
The Rashid rover reached the Moon in 2023 but was lost when its partner lander crashed; Rashid 2 is planned, and the UAE is contributing the Gateway airlock to NASA's lunar station.