EIAST Finishes Design Review of KhalifaSat, On Track for 2017 Launch

EIAST and Khalifasat engineers during their meeting with EIAST’s General Director Yousif Al Shaibani to give updates about the progress of KhalifaSat. Photo: EIAST

[Via Satellite 10-20-2014] The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) has concluded a Detailed Design Review of KhalifaSat, the first satellite to be fully manufactured in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The KhalifaSat bus will resemble DubaiSat 2, but with room to support a more developed camera.

“The technologies for KhalifaSat were enhanced by 30 percent compared to DubaiSat 2, including a highly sophisticated camera system, which will image at a resolution of 70cm; more storage capacity, faster download speed, and better computing capabilities,” said Amer Al Sayegh, director of the Space Systems Development Department at EIAST and KhalifaSat project manager.

Engineers have developed new software for both this and future satellite projects. The mock-up model of the satellite is nearly complete, after which EIAST will manufacture the flight model for a 2017 launch.