Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (SHARJAH)
Inside a lab at the Sharjah Space and Astronomy Hub (SSAH) sits an out-of-this-world collection: more than 8,000 meteorites and fragments, tektites, and other rare specimens from the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
The collection was gifted to the hub by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, after its acquisition from an Australian collector.
Now entrusted to SSAH, the specimens support research, education, knowledge-sharing, and public engagement, said Maryam Essa Sharif, Head of the Meteorite Lab Section at the hub.
What sets the collection apart, she said, is its scale and diversity.
“The specimens range from very small and rare samples to exceptionally large iron meteorites, with some weighing close to one tonne,” Sharif told Aletihad.
The collection also includes iron, stony, and stony-iron meteorites from different asteroid parent bodies.
“Importantly, [it] also contains lunar and Martian meteorites, offering rare physical links to the Moon and Mars,” she added.
All these space rocks and specimens help SSAH and the global scientific community piece together the story of how the solar system came to be.
“Meteorites are among the oldest natural materials available for scientific study,” Sharif said. They offer insight into the solar system’s formation and evolution, from the earliest asteroids to the Moon and Mars.
All that data doesn’t just sit in storage. SSAH uses it to train deep learning models, as AI becomes another cornerstone of the hub’s research.
Prof Hamid M.K. Al Naimiy, Director of SSAH, said their Space Artificial Intelligence Laboratory uses AI to tackle complex challenges — for instance, filtering the daily images produced by the UAE Meteor Monitoring Network’s three stations.
Deep learning models trained on SSAH’s collection help distinguish meteorites from ordinary rocks, and are deployed on drones for meteorite detection. Similar image analysis automatically flags potential solar bursts and alerts researchers.
“AI is transforming the way we address challenges arising from the astronomy-space domain,” Prof Al Naimiy said.
The Meteorite Lab and the Space Artificial Intelligence Laboratory are two of six at SSAH, working together to advance the UAE’s space ambitions while training the next generation of Emirati talent, he added.
The six labs vary in focus, he explained, but all are committed to knowledge transfer. “Every year, they host a minimum of 20 university students to complete their summer internship requirements.”
Finding Answers to Big Astronomy Questions
Some labs lean toward astronomical research, like the High-Energy Astrophysics Laboratory, where researchers study neutron stars, black holes, and the physics of X-ray binary systems.
Noora Abbas Ismail, Head of the High Energy Astrophysics Lab Section, said their work helps shed light on “the physical processes governing some of the most energetic systems in the universe”.
“Our current research includes the timing analysis of high-mass X-ray binary systems using data from international X-ray observatories to study neutron star properties and accretion processes,” Ismail said.
The team also runs hydrodynamical simulations examining how matter behaves around black holes under intense gravitational forces.
How Space Weather Signals, Navigation
The Space Weather and Ionosphere Lab, meanwhile, looks closer to home.
Abdollah Masoud Darya, Space Technology Support Engineer, said the lab studies phenomena that directly affect satellite communications, navigation systems, and power infrastructure in the UAE.
“By analysing data collected from our scientific instruments, we identify when and how space weather phenomena affect satellite-based technologies,” he said.
Researchers have found, for example, that ionospheric scintillation - most common between sunset and midnight - can weaken satellite signals, insight that helps operators strengthen the resilience of communication and navigation systems.
The lab also studies geomagnetic storms, which can disrupt satellites, radio communications, and power grids.
“By improving our understanding of these phenomena, the laboratory contributes to protecting critical infrastructure and supporting the continued reliability of space-based services across the UAE,” Darya added.
Expanding UAE’s Satellite Technology
The CubeSat Laboratory, meanwhile, is putting Sharjah’s fingerprint on space itself, launching CubeSats with goals spanning capability-building, student education, research, and data for local entities.
Tarifa Mohammed Alkaabi, Space Technology Engineer, said the lab’s establishment is largely tied to the development of Sharjah-Sat-1, SSAH’s first miniaturised satellite, which lifted off in 2023.
In March this year, Sharjah-Sat-2 launched, marking a new milestone in the emirate’s space journey.
“Sharjah-Sat-2 enhances the Hub’s Earth observation capabilities by improving the imaging resolution from approximately 50 metres to around five metres, while also introducing hyperspectral imaging,” Alkaabi said. The result, she added, is richer, more detailed data to support environmental monitoring, agriculture, and urban planning.
Beyond enriching the scientific study of the galaxy, Alkaabi said CubeSats are making space more accessible, letting universities and research institutions develop and operate real satellite missions while testing emerging technologies in orbit.
Prof Al Naimiy believes the Sharjah-Sat programme will play a defining role in the UAE’s space ambitions.
“As the programme evolves through future Sharjah-Sat missions, it has the potential to establish the UAE as a regional leader in small satellite technologies and space innovation over the coming decade,” he said.
The Sharjah-Sat series, he added, is strengthening the UAE’s space sector by building national CubeSat capabilities, supporting government applications, and developing Emirati talent through local and international collaboration.
