MBRSC successfully launches pioneering PHI-Demo, a landmark in Emirati innovation

MBRSC successfully launches pioneering PHI-Demo, a landmark in Emirati innovation

The satellite had all its mechanical components constructed in the UAE in collaboration with the private sector The 12U modular satellite platform is carrying two partner technology payloads by OQ Technology and SteamJet Dubai – UAE: The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) today announced the successful launch of the first mission of the Payload Hosting Initiative (PHI), PHI-Demo satellite, marking a significant milestone in the UAE's history of space exploration and innovation. The PHI-Demo satellite onboard the Soyuz-2 rocket lifted off from Russia's Vostochny Cosmodrome at 3:34 PM UAE time. The pioneering project, the first of its kind in the Arab world, has all its mechanical components constructed in the UAE in collaboration with the private sector. The satellite will be positioned at an altitude of about 550 km, and operated from MBRSC and the labs of partner universities - American University RAK and Khalifa University. Development of PHI-Demo MBRSC has crafted the 'platform', the shell of the PHI-Demo satellite that hosts the payloads, with a 100% Emirati team. The Emirati-crafted project, a product of local innovation and skill, serves as the backbone of the pioneering PHI initiative. Jointly led by MBRSC and the United Nations Office for Outer