- 22 Emirati nationals were selected to join the programme from 13 entities, with 90% from the youth category and 55% female.
- The track enhances the technical skills of national talent and supports the country’s growing ambitions in the space sector.
- FADA and BEACON RED, entities of EDGE Group, are strategic partners in implementing the programme
- Programme features hands-on training, site visits to major national projects, and opportunities to meet with sector leaders and experts.
The National Space Academy, a transformative UAE Space Agency initiative, announced the launch of the second cohort of the Space Mission and Satellite Engineering (SMSE) Programme (SMSE), in partnership with EDGE Group. The ten-week programme will take place from 16 September to 21 November 2025 at the UAE Space Agency’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi, BEACON RED’s advanced training centre, and FADA’s facilities.
On the opening day, the programme delivered a comprehensive induction with keynote addresses from senior leaders at the UAE Space Agency and EDGE Group. Participants engaged with the programme’s digital learning platform, designed to support their training journey, and connected with one another to exchange ideas and begin building professional networks that will enrich their experience throughout the programme.
His Excellency Salem Butti Al Qubaisi, Director-General of UAE Space Agency, said: “The launch of the second cohort of this programme embodies the UAE’s commitment to developing local talent and reinforcing its leading position in space science and technology.”
Al Qubaisi continued: “The Academy is a strategic platform for preparing professionals capable of leading projects in space mission design and satellite engineering. This contributes to accelerating the growth of the space sector and promoting it as a key driver of a sustainable knowledge economy.”
Waleid Al Mesmari, President of Space & Cyber Technologies at EDGE Group, said: “Our cooperation with the UAE Space Agency underlines EDGE’s unwavering commitment to advancing the nation’s ambitions in space. By transferring world-class expertise and empowering national talent, we are helping to shape the UAE’s next chapter of excellence and innovation.”
Al Mesmari added: “This programme represents a pivotal milestone in preparing a new generation of Emirati leaders and engineers who will design and deliver breakthrough solutions for future space missions. It also strengthens the UAE’s standing as a global centre for space technology, knowledge, and innovation.”
Engineer Naser Al Rashdi, Manager of the National Space Academy, said: “The space sector plays an increasingly vital role in the economic, social, environmental, and defence domains, and is witnessing remarkable growth. Investing in the development of national talent is therefore one of the key enablers to ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of this strategic sector in the UAE. Through its practical and forward-looking programmes, the National Space Academy seeks to complement and integrate with other national space initiatives, equipping our human capital with the knowledge and skills needed to drive progress.”
On the selection process, he added: “The candidate evaluation involved rigorous criteria and testing, resulting in the selection of 22 participants from more than 13 government, academic, research, and private sector entities, spanning both the civil and defence domains. All are Emirati nationals. We are especially proud that 90% of the participants are youth, and that 55% are women.”
The SMSE programme aims to provide participants with advanced practical experience through five core modules: space mission design and planning, applied space systems engineering, space systems validation and verification, and space mission operations management and operation. The programme culminates in a core application project (CCP) that accurately simulates the strategic planning, engineering design, and comprehensive technical justification process for a real space mission, from the study and preparation stages through to actual implementation and operation.