The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) National Space Academy launched the Space Mission and Satellite Engineering (SMSE) programme in partnership with the Emirati defence conglomerate, EDGE Group, accoridng to a release on 7 August 2025.
Delivered in collaboration with EDGE entities FADA and BEACON RED, the SMSE programme aims to build the UAE’s next generation of satellite engineers, system architects, and mission leaders through practical space mission systems training.
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The programme equips Emirati professionals, researchers, and graduates with specialised expertise in satellite mission design, space systems engineering, and mission operations, positioning them to support and accelerate the development of the UAE’s space capabilities.
As of February 2020, the UAE Space Agency claimed the nation had ten satellites in orbit, each serving a different purpose, with technicians building another eight satellites. Now, however, more recent reports suggest the Gulf country now has around 20 satellites in orbit; the latest satellite – MBZ-SAT, fully developed by Emirati engineers – was launched in January 2025.
“The UAE’s success in space will ultimately be defined by our ability to nurture a new generation of technically adept Emiratis equipped to lead complex space missions,” remarked EDGE Group’s president for space and cyber technologies.
Director general of the UAE Space Agency, Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi, commented: “We are committed to qualifying and training young local cadres and honing their skills according to the highest international standards to efficiently lead future space initiatives and missions.”
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By GlobalDataTen-week programme
The ten-week programme, taking place from 16 September to 20 November 2025 at the UAE Space Agency’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi, BEACON RED’s advanced training centre, and FADA’s facilities, combines in-person technical training with online modules led by local and international industry experts.
Participants will gain practical experience across five core modules: Designing Space Missions; Applied Space Systems Engineering; Space System Verification and Validation; Space Mission Operations; and a Central Case Project simulating the end-to-end planning, design, and justification of a real satellite mission.
Open exclusively to UAE nationals, the programme targets professionals working in government or private sector organisations within the space industry, as well as academic researchers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics disciplines. It also welcomes applications from graduates holding a bachelor’s degree or higher qualifications.
