UAE Space Agency Launches Space Mission and Satellite Engineering Programme

Participants will benefit from hands-on training, access to national space projects, and exclusive networking opportunities with industry leaders. The National Space Academy, an initiative by the UAE Space Agency, has introduced the Space Mission and Satellite Engineering Programme (SMSE) in collaboration with EDGE entities FADA and BEACON RED. This programme is aimed at grooming the next generation of satellite engineers, system architects, and mission leaders in the UAE through practical space mission systems training.

The SMSE programme equips Emirati professionals, researchers, and graduates with specialized knowledge in satellite mission design, space systems engineering, and mission operations, empowering them to enhance the UAE’s space capabilities.

H.E. Eng. Salem Butti Salem Al Qubaisi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency, emphasized the importance of nurturing local talents to sustain the space sector, setting high international standards for training and skills development to lead future space initiatives and bolster the UAE’s position as an innovation hub.

Waleid Al Mesmari, President – Space & Cyber Technologies, EDGE Group, highlighted the need to cultivate technically proficient Emiratis capable of leading complex space missions. The programme focuses on imparting exceptional knowledge, hands-on experience, and supporting UAE’s space sector growth through skill enhancement at all levels.

The ten-week SMSE programme, occurring from 16 September to 20 November 2025 at several UAE Space Agency locations, offers a mix of in-person technical training and online modules conducted by local and international experts.

Participants engage in various core modules like Designing Space Missions (DSM), Applied Space Systems Engineering (ASSE), Space System Verification and Validation (SSVV), Space Mission Operations (SMO), and a Central Case Project (CCP) emulating a real satellite mission planning process.

Through hands-on projects and industry-standard tools, the curriculum provides profound technical training while also emphasizing operational planning strategies via visits to prominent UAE aerospace and technology establishments.

The programme, exclusive to UAE nationals, targets professionals from government and private space organizations and welcomes applications from STEM academic researchers and graduates with bachelor’s degrees or higher qualifications.