UAE's MBZ-SAT lifts off

The UAE's MBZ-SAT satellite, developed by Emirati engineers at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), has lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The launch marks another milestone in the UAE’s ambitious space programme.

Liftoff! The Falcon 9 rocket, carrying MBZ-SAT, has launched.#MBZSAT pic.twitter.com/KzN8pUXMts

— MBR Space Centre (@MBRSpaceCentre) January 14, 2025

The Earth observation satellite MBZ-SAT, named in honour of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was launched along with two CubeSats developed by universities in the UAE.

These include HCT-SAT 1, designed by students of the Higher Colleges of Technology under the supervision of experts at MBRSC, and Al Ain Sat-1 developed by the UAE University's National Space Science and Technology Centre.