The team of engineers from the Emirates Institute of Advanced Science and Tehcnology (EIAST) who have been participating in the long knowledge transfer program in South Korea, have successfully concluded their stay in the city of Daejeon and returned back to Dubai, which marks a key milestone in EIAST's history.
"The return of the KhalifaSat team is a milestone not just for EIAST but also for the UAE in general. Although the cooperation with South Korea has not ended yet, the engineers have returned to Dubai to resume their work on KhalifaSat on UAE soil. For the past eight years, EIAST engineers have dedicated their time to the development of satellites in a foreign country, and it's time to bring it back to UAE. This cements our proud position as a leader in space science technology and research in the region, and marks the beginning of further advances for us as well as the continued expansion of local skills and knowledge. This will definitely greatly impact our national development," said Yousuf Al Shaibani, Director General of EIAST.
Al Shaibani concluded: "Our partnership with Satrec Initiative is a great example of how international cooperation can benefit both parties and further advancements in technology."
Eng. Amer Al Sayegh, Director of the Space Systems Development Department at EIAST and KhalifaSat Project Manager said, EIAST's team has been working closely with the South Korean partner, Satrec Initiative, on the development of DubaiSat-1 and DubaiSat-2, since 2006. Since 2013, the team has been utilising the facilities of the Korean company for the development of the KhalifaSat Engineering Model. The team from Satrec Initiative has given us invaluable support, sharing their knowledge and skills and giving us the confidence to complete this mission on UAE soil. We are very thankful and look forward to future cooperation with them."
KhalifaSat is the first satellite to be designed and built by a completely Emirati team of engineers. The development of the satellite will proceed at EIAST's own state-of-the-art satellite manufacturing facilities.
In celebration of this milestone, EIAST and Satrec Initiative had a farewell ceremony, that was attended by executives and leaders of both EIAST and Satrec Imitative, where they enjoyed team building activities and a banquet befitting the end of this successful chapter in both institutions' partnership.
Source: WAM