CEO of the Space Science Authority in Bahrain to “Al Ittihad”: The satellite “Phi-1” promotes innovation and supports sustainable development

Amna Al Ketbi (Dubai)

Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Asiri, CEO of the National Space Science Authority in the Kingdom of Bahrain, stressed in an interview with Al-Ittihad, the importance of the Phi-1 satellite – which is being implemented by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center and the United Nations Space Affairs Office in cooperation with the authority – in increasing Spreading awareness of the uses of the space sector as one of the most important drivers of economic development, as this mission enhances innovation in the region and international cooperation in the field of space, which contributes to achieving sustainable development goals, especially as it provides the ideal platform for hosting multiple technologies and innovations, explaining the importance of the moon in building the capabilities of entities Participation and development by working on the design, construction, testing and operation of payloads, in addition to improving the skill of writing technical reports related to the design, construction, testing and operation of the safety of the satellite payload.
He added: “We are pleased and honored that the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center and the United Nations Office for Space Affairs have chosen the (Aman) project, the first Bahraini technology designed, integrated and fully tested by the National Space Science Authority, to participate during the first cycle of the satellite mission FY-1, which We consider it an exceptional opportunity as we seek to contribute meaningfully to the global effort towards the sustainable and peaceful use of outer space and build national capabilities in the field of space.”
On the role of the National Space Science Authority in the Kingdom of Bahrain through its “Aman” project, Al-Asiri said: “The role of the National Space Science Authority lies in the design, programming and construction of the payload (Aman) according to technical standards and requirements such as weight and energy to ensure the possibility of integrating the payload into the fi-satellite. 1, in addition to testing them to ensure their ability to withstand the space environment and their own operational testing to ensure that they work properly according to their operating plan.”
He continued: “In addition, the authority’s team will be responsible for the process of running the payload test during the operation process in orbit after launching the Fi-1 satellite into orbit, not to mention the release of all technical reports related to the payload Aman such as the user manual for operating the payload Aman,” noting that Aman Project The satellite information security challenge is one of the most important challenges facing the space sector at the international level, as satellites are used to obtain critical and high-resolution satellite data and images that are used in many fields.

Information insecurity
Al-Asiri said that the lack of information security in the satellites could create a loophole through which hackers can enter the main database of the operator that operates these satellites. Complex programming used to encode satellite data of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center “Fi-1”, noting that this programming is the first Bahraini programming to be designed using the hardware programming language on the electronic chip “FPGA”, which can be reprogrammed in space, in addition to that. The development of this programming contributes to overcoming the challenges facing miniature satellites, including limited power, space and data.
He said: “The Aman project team consists of four members of the Bahrain Space Team, aerospace engineer Aisha Al-Haram, space engineer Yaqoub Al-Qassab, space engineer Reem Sinan and space engineer Munira Al-Malki, all of whom are experienced in programming and developing satellites of various sizes and technologies, and they contributed to Building satellites that have been successfully launched into space.

Project “Aman”
Dr. Mohammed Al-Asiri said: “It is hoped that the design, construction and testing phases of the (Aman) project will be completed at the end of next year 2023. The completion of the testing process during operation in the first half of 2024. We are all working in coordination with the team concerned with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center to achieve the desired goal.”
On the upcoming mission of the UAE through the explorer Rashid, he said that the efforts of the sisterly United Arab Emirates in the field of space develop a sense of pride for all Arab peoples, and it also elevates the position of Arab and Islamic countries in the space sector at the international level, noting that the lunar exploration project by The Explorer Rashid Road is considered one of the most prominent and latest space projects in the region and the world, as it contributes to the international efforts to explore and land on the moon by studying plasma on the surface of the moon in new locations that have not been previously studied.
He added, “The explorer is carrying out a very important experiment to test the interaction of different materials with lunar dust, which is one of the challenges facing exploring the surface of the moon, as it sticks to spacecraft, causing many scratches due to its high roughness. In addition, the explorer Rashid will He carries with him 6 advanced and high-precision devices to measure the temperature and density of electronics and the ionization potential of the plasma.