Watch: UAE students win coding contest’s finale held on International Space Station

Watch: UAE students win coding contest’s finale held on International Space Station

Dubai: The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) today announced the winners of the UAE Zero Robotics Programming Challenge (UAE ZRPC), a unique programming competition that took place onboard the International Space Station (ISS) with the participation of Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi. The UAE ZRPC was developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and NASA. This Challenge provided university students with a rare opportunity to demonstrate and develop their programming and critical thinking skills, by programming the free-flying robot Astrobee to write Arabic letters in the microgravity environment of the ISS. The first place was awarded to the team from Khalifa University for demonstrating exceptional command over the Astrobee’s control in a microgravity environment. The second and third places were secured by Team 2 and Team 1, respectively, from the UAE University. Salem Humaid Al Marri, Director-General, MBRSC, said: “Engaging students in the field of STEM is of paramount importance to the UAE’s vision for a future rich in science and technology. With Sultan’s mission aboard the ISS, we open a new chapter in educational outreach initiatives. This challenge is the kind of inspired learning we aim for at MBRSC – nurturing the innovators and explorers