The 8th Issue of the Innovation@UAE Magazine: Space is now closer with groundbreaking UAE research

ISSUE 8 WELCOME LETTER

Since the UAE launched the UAE National Space Program in 2017 by H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE and Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the country has witnessed major achievements including the realization of the first space mission to Mars, called the HOPE mission.

The HOPE Probe collected over 1.7 TB of data on the Martian atmosphere, weather patterns and climate history, providing critical information that will help predict climate changes on Earth and support future Mars missions and planetary explorations.

As most are aware, the key goals of the National Space Program include overseeing the realization of the first scientific city on the Red Planet as part of the 2117 Mars program and launching the Arab Space Discovery Program aimed at making the UAE a frontrunner in the global space industry.

The UAE is prioritizing the space sector for the next 50 years. The UAE seeks to launch human space missions every three to five years, a goal that is one among a long list of groundbreaking space projects.

The success of the UAE National Space program is a culmination of

efforts and investments, of which research is a strong part. One of the aims of the UAE National program is to prepare UAE cadres who are specialized in aerospace sciences and this entails universities who are offering strong curriculum and research in this area.

In the 2021 UAE Space Economic survey, it was found that there was a 14.8% increase in research and development in the area of space exploration which accounted for a total of 76.8%. In addition Emirati nationals comprised 38.5% of the space sector workforce and 59.2% of the employees in the UAE›s space sector are Emirati youth.

Another important statistic revealed in the survey showed that 54.4% of entities in the UAE benefiting from the space program were the communications sector, followed by security, education, tourism, and entertainment. Furthermore the survey revealed an 83.6% increase in scientific publications.

When UAE’s Sultan AlNeyadi stepped outside the airlock of the International Space Station to begin a seven hour spacewalk, he became the first Arab astronaut to venture into the unknown depths of space. Sultan AlNeyadi conducted more than 200 experiments assigned by NASA and 19 by UAE universities on diverse topics including cardiovascular and immune systems, back pain, epigenetics, fluid science, plant biology, material science, sleep analysis and radiation.

This is exactly why I am so proud to showcase the innovative space research from professors, researchers and youth across UAE universities and schools.

This issue shares research never done before, such as the UAE Gene expression research to be utilized by Astronauts to safeguard their health during long missions, or NYU Abu Dhabi University researchers uncovering the strange behavior of a millisecond pulsar, a super-fast-spinning dead star.

UAE researchers have also been the first to produce a Mars Atlas utilizing images from the Emirates Mars mission, the HOPE probe which is now being developed into a more informative book that will be published in both English and Arabic. But this won’t be the last as the UAE embarks on its Asteroid Belt mission and Lunar Gateway mission.

We even have researchers such as those at Khalifa University who have developed new trajectories to explore Saturn and its moons that require less energy utilization for space crafts.

UAE university researchers are even using technologies such as AI and Machine Learning to better detect and classify meteors and solar bursts.

Innovation has not stopped here, our universities and professors are at the cornerstone of the upcoming Abu Dhabi Space Debate strategy council meeting which will be held at the beginning of December 2024. The meeting will debate the space industry’s most pressing challenges and drive the new space economy.

Once again, I hope you enjoy this issue of Innovation@UAE as we take you on a journey that goes beyond Earth, beyond our solar system, while keeping humanity at the heart of it all!

His Excellency Dr. Mohammad Al-Mualla Undersecretary for Academic Affairs Ministry of Education

NEWS

MESHED STACKED LTCC ANTENNAS TO PROPEL UAE SPACE EXPLORATION MISSIONS INTO THE FUTURE

United Arab Emirates University Department of Electrical and Communication Engineering

Professor Mahmoud Al Ahmad, at the Department of Electrical Engineering at the United Arab Emirates University recently published a research entitled “Meshed Stacked LTCC Antenna for Space Application” with the aim of studying how different mesh configurations of stacked meshed patch antennas can

Prof. Mahmoud F. Al Ahmad

change the performance, frequency and efficiency of LTCC antennas for space application.

The study looked into several forms of meshing, one where both patches were mesh, another where only the top patch was meshed, and one where only the bottom patch was meshed, and finally one where both patches are continuous solid metal. The study carried out was different from previous studies which only concentrated on single layer patch designs.

Al Ahmad explained to Innovation@ UAE magazine, the importance of the study is due to the growing dependence on Geostationary (GEO) satellites for global HD televisions, data transfer and internet applications which have resulted in increased demand for higher data rates and more efficient frequency usage.

Meshing and

Antennas

Firstly, what is meshing? To understand this, we first need to understand the two types of light weight printed circuit antennas being used today. The first type is Microstrip antennas which essentially consist of metallization on a grounded substrate. Given that they are low-profile, and light

weight they can be made conformal and are easily integrated into integrated circuits.

They are used in many areas in aerospace and communication systems and have become indispensable components for transmission and reception of electromagnetic energy.

Microstrip antennas can be further segregated into what is called, “Microstrip patch antennas” which have been reported to be implemented using meta-materials for enhanced performance. Metallization is implemented with a continuous metal (conducting) surface. An alternative to this is using meshed antennas.

Meshed antennas are made of a meshed configuration of the conducting surfaces. Meshing can be applied to the patches, the ground plane or both. When the meshing is applied to the patch, the metallization continues to serve as an effective radiator.

The importance of meshed antennas is that they are inexpensive, and easily made through screen printing, ink jet printing or using off the shelf meshed conductors.

Study Findings

The results of the study showed that the stacked mesh performance in terms of the resonant frequency, return loss, gain and radiation efficiency can be comparable to that of a typical, continuous metal stacked design. Both patches are 20.86 mm × 21.46 mm. The maximum absolute gain and radiation efficiency of the solid stacked patch were 5.05 dBi (Decibels relative to isotropic (dBi) is a unit of measurement that describes how much power an antenna transmits in a single direction when compared to an isotropic radiator, which transmits in all directions at once) and 91.6% while those of the meshed stacked patch were 5.22 dBi and 91.8% respectively.

In addition, the measurements of stacked meshed design showed that the antenna was resonant at 2.52 GHz (GHz, short for gigahertz, is a unit of frequency equal to one billion hertz. It is commonly used to measure computer processing speed, alternating current, and electromagnetic (EM) frequencies) with a reflection coefficient in dB of −23.69 dB. It has a 40 MHz −10 dB impedance bandwidth (1.5%) from 2.50 GHz to 2.54 GHz. The antenna exhibited a maximum measured gain of +5 dBi and cross polarization of 10 dB at boresight. An equivalent circuit model for the design was also proposed. The antenna was intended for space application, and therefore it was implemented using Low Temperature CoFired Ceramic (LTCC) technology as the LTCC properties can withstand the harsh environment of space.

Therefore, research found that although the meshed lines increase the line impedance and therefore can result in increased losses, this can be mitigated by careful mesh

selection. Lastly, the meshed design allows for better bonding between the LTCC tape layers.

This evolution calls for a radical transformation in satellite technology, emphasizing smaller, lighter satellites with reduced production times and costs.

Importance for Earth applications

Al Ahmad explained to Innovation@UAE magazine, the importance of the study is due to the growing dependence on Geostationary (GEO) satellites for global HD televisions, data transfer and internet applications which have resulted in increased demand for higher data rates and more efficient frequency usage.

As he explains,” GEO satellites, which orbit at an altitude of 36,800 km, are now required to handle higher transmission frequencies, particularly in the millimeter-wave range, to meet this escalating demand. Additionally, the emergence of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, situated between 700 km and 1500 km above Earth and numbering in the hundreds or thousands, is set to create a global network that extends beyond internet access to broader applications like the Internet of Things (IoT) and vehicle-to-vehicle communication.”

He adds,” This evolution calls for a radical transformation in

satellite technology, emphasizing smaller, lighter satellites with reduced production times and costs. Traditional waveguide technologies are being replaced by 3D-multilayer lightweight technologies that utilize various carrier materials to meet new system requirements. Among these materials, LTCC stands out. LTCC, known for its multilayer dielectric integration and packaging capabilities, can accommodate up to 40 layers of multilayer circuits on sintered ceramic carriers, making it highly suitable for new satellite technologies.”

The decision to conduct a study on meshed stacked LTCC antennas was driven by the need to advance space communication systems. LTCC technology is celebrated for its ability to withstand extreme conditions, making it an ideal choice for the harsh environment of space.

Importance for Space

In terms of meshed stacked LTCC antennas, these are crucial in space exploration because they serve as a primary means for communication, sensing, navigation, and data transmission between spacecraft and earth.

Al Ahmad believes that their importance becomes even more profound as we delve deeper into space.

He states, “The decision to conduct a study on meshed stacked LTCC antennas was driven by the need to advance space communication systems. LTCC technology is celebrated for its ability to withstand extreme conditions, making it an ideal choice for the harsh environment of space. The meshed stacked design of these antennas represents a significant technological advancement, promising enhanced performance while reducing weight, a critical factor in space missions. This innovative approach aims to meet the increasing complexity and requirements of modern space missions, offering a blend of durability, efficiency, and reduced mass, all of which are essential in the demanding realm of space exploration.”

He gives an example of how this could be utilized in space. For example, using meshed stacked antennas, scientists could deploy a spacecraft that is lighter but with the same communication efficiency, as well as resilience in the harsh conditions of space.

This would entail cost savings and enhanced mission efficiency, which are critical in the field of space exploration.

Benefits for UAE Space exploration

Al Ahmad believes that the stacked meshed antennas represent more than just mere components but are a signal for the dawn of a new epoch in space communication and exploration.

While this is still an emergent technology, its prospects for future space missions are vast. Al Ahmad states, “The United

Arab Emirates (UAE), with its bold vision for space exploration, is poised to lead in embracing these advanced technologies. The integration of LTCC antennas could be a game-changer for the UAE, revolutionizing its approach to various aspects of space exploration, from satellite communications to deep space ventures and scientific research.”

For Al Ahmad as the need for advanced communication systems in space escalates, the integration of meshed stacked LTCC antennas into upcoming missions becomes ever more crucial.

The UAE, with its visionary approach to space exploration by embracing these state-of-the-art antennas could significantly refine the UAE›s strategy in space exploration, opening new horizons in satellite communication, the Internet of Things (IoT), and more.

UAE RESEARCHERS

STUDY MENTAL STRESS OF ASTRONAUTS DURING

PROLONGED SPACE MISSIONS

Dr. Hasan al Nashash

American Unvirsity of Sharjah Professor of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering

A study carried out by the American University of Sharjah in UAE looked into mental stress in prolonged space missions utilizing technologies such as machine learning. Its findings will offer solutions to astronauts to decrease stress levels as well as help in choosing astronauts.

The 240 days of Isolation

Dr. Hasan Al Nashash, Professor at the Electrical Engineering Department of the American University of Sharjah assessed together with his colleagues in the Neuroengineering Research Group mental stress during 240 days of isolation in a confined environment. This group is composed of Dr. Hasan Al-Nashash, Dr. Fares Al-Shargie and Dr. Usman Tariq.

The study proposed utilizing electroencephalography (EEG), alpha amylase and behavioral measures to assess the level of mental stress during a period of 240 days of isolation and confinement. The study quantified the levels of mental stress using the reaction time (RT) to stimuli, accuracy of target detection, and the functional connectivity network of the brain’s electrical beta EEG signals estimated by phase locking values (PLV).

The researchers hypothesized that 240 days of isolation and confinement would result in various elevated levels of mental stress and EEG and machine-learning models can be used to classify different levels of mental stress. Time-limited voice contact with a simulated control center was the only connection with the outside world.

The study is important for several reasons. According to Dr. Al Nashash, “Isolation and confinement can put the human body under a large amount of psycho-neuroendocrine strain, which results in measurable pathophysiologic symptoms. There have been studies of human space missions which demonstrated that space exploration involves various health risks. The effects of the space environment on human health mainly studied in terms of microgravity, cosmic radiation, and closed confined environments. Researchers have reported that microgravity can cause balance disorders, decreased bone mineralization, and muscle-disuse atrophy. In addition, psychological stress in closed, confined, multi-cultural environments in space can be a serious health issue. “

He believes that the reason for stress is because astronauts are isolated from earth, while living and working in a confined environment with low levels of mental and physical stimulation. These pose real dangers in space, and in particular, limitation in coping resources to those stressors.

Biomarkers identified

As such, the Neuroengineering Research Group aimed to develop and identify biomarkers for the assessment of stress, so that astronauts can easily check their stress level when they are unable to receive regular professional face-to-face support. Detecting the influence of psychological stress at its early stages is particularly important in prolonged space missions to avoid negative consequences.

Previous studies that have looked into the effects of the space

environment on human health have mainly studied microgravity, cosmic radiation, and closed confined environments. Several research groups have reported that confined environments can cause physical problems including fatigue, balance disorders, decreased bone mineralization and muscular atrophy.

According to Dr. Al Nashash,

“Isolation and confinement can put the human body under a large amount of psycho-neuroendocrine strain, which results in measurable pathophysiologic symptoms.

Collaboration with UAE Space Centre

Dr. Al Nashash explained, “The study was carried out in collaboration with Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). It involved five astronauts, including UAE astronauts Saleh Alameri and Abdullah Alhammadi, who were put into a confined environment for 240 days from November 2021 to July 2022 in the SIRIUS facility, during which they experienced simulated long-distance space travel. The Facility was artificially lit; temperature was maintained at 2223- °C. The astronauts had some personal contact with each other and a time-limited voice contact with the control center. Daily activities included eight hours of work, eight hours of free time and eight hours of sleep. They were required to conduct around 70 different experiments including ours.”

Results

The results of the study showed that the alpha amylase level increased by 62% from the beginning of the mission to the end of the 240-days mission. This indicates that isolation and confinement contribute to elevation of mental stress. The functional connectivity network showed a significant decrease in the information flow in the frontal regions across all subjects with statistical significance of p<0.05 (P > 0.05 is the probability that the null hypothesis is true. 1 minus the P value is the probability that the alternative hypothesis is true. A statistically significant test result (P ≤ 0.05) means that the test hypothesis is false or should be rejected. A P value greater than 0.05 means that no effect was observed.) Meanwhile, the behavioral data showed no differences from the beginning to the end of the 240-days mission, which could be due to the short data recording time of 10 minutes during each experiment time.

Previous studies that have looked into the effects

of the space environment on human

health have mainly studied microgravity, cosmic radiation, and closed confined environments.

The overall results suggested that the frontal beta EEG connectivity can be used as a potential biomarker for detecting elevated stress in an isolated and confined environment. According to the study it is very important to

develop biomarkers to detect stress in its early stages before it becomes chronic. Identifying behavioral, psychological, and biological markers of the characteristics that predispose prospective long-duration space exploration is required for exploration missions. The accurate prediction will guide crew selection tactics, spacecraft habitability specifications, and the necessary behavioral health safeguards for interplanetary missions.

The study was carried out in collaboration with Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). It involved five astronauts, including UAE astronauts Saleh Alameri and Abdullah Alhammadi, who were put into a confined environment for 240 days from November 2021 to July 2022 in the SIRIUS facility, during which they experienced simulated long-distance space travel.

Utilizing machine learning and EEG

The researchers utilized multiple machine learning models to detect elevated stress levels during the 240-day confinement. The machine learning classifiers differentiated between four levels of stress with classification accuracy of 91.8%, 91.4%,

90.2%, 87.8, and 81% using linear discriminant analysis (LDA), Support Vector Machine (SVM), k-nearest neighbor (KNN), Naïve bayes (NB) and decision trees (DT).

EEG was recently used in two space studies to examine how isolation affected the brain›s physiology and emotional state. One study (MARS105) found that three months of isolation produced a general decrease of brain activity as well as a decrease in perceived physical state and motivation.

Al-Shargie adds, “There is ample evidence which demonstrates that stress hormones are strongly linked to cognitive performance including memory. However, in this research, the effect of stress on cognition was not investigated. In addition, the astronauts had some personal contact with each other and time-limited voice contact with the control center. So, the focus of this research was not on isolation from other humans. We were interested in detecting

the influence of psychological stress in prolonged space missions.”

Future Impact on space missions

As per Dr. Al Nashash, the findings of this research will impact future space missions locally in the UAE and internationally. The findings will help develop techniques to mitigate stress at its early stages to protect astronauts’ mental health.

Another important result of the study is that the findings can be used to develop criteria for selecting astronauts. Dr. Al Nashash states, “Our results show that mental stress was common amongst all participating astronauts during the 240day confinement. However, there were some variations due to individual differences. In fact, this is one of the prime reasons why advanced neuroimaging and AI should be used in the selection of potential astronauts.”

Finally, the findings can also be used and applied to our modern-day life whether this is in workplace environments, especially for jobs that include long office hours, or firefighters, security personnel, military, students, and researchers.

UAE STUDY HELPS SPACE EXPLORERS DETECT GALAXIES 37 BILLION LIGHT YEARS AWAY FROM EARTH

Physics Department, United Arab Emirates University Associate Professor, Department of Physics

The first documented records for systematic astronomical observations dated back to the Assyro-Babylonians around 1000 BCE from this cradle of civilization in Mesopotamia, in the southern part of present-day Iraq. At the time, monitoring the motions of stars and planets in the sky was the best

Dr. Muhammad Abdul Latif

tool to track time, which was fundamental for agriculture, religious rituals and navigation.

In the Dark ages, astronomy flourished in Asia and in the Islamic world. Extensive observations were performed in the Chinese and Indian empires, including the compilation of stellar catalogs. In the Islamic world, observations of the sky were accompanied by the study and translation of texts from ancient Greek scientists.

Islamic scholars built exquisite astronomical instruments to measure angles in the sky. Hence, it is no surprise that Muhammad Abdul Latif, Associate Professor, at the Department of Physics, United Arab Emirates University, is studying Population II and III stars and how and where to find them in the galaxies. All this is unveiled in the study entitled

“Unveiling the Contribution of Population III Stars in Primeval Galaxies at Redshift 6”.

Population III stars are the very first generation of stars that formed in the universe and brought the first light into the cosmos while Population II stars are the second-generation stars which were formed from the material synthesized within Pop III stars.

Importance of Population III and II stars

Abdul Latif explains to Innovation@UAE magazine what these stars are and why they are so important to study.

According to Abdul Latif, “Population III stars are the very first generation of stars that formed in the universe and brought the first light into the cosmos while Population II stars are the second-generation stars which were formed from the material synthesized within Pop III stars. In simple terms, Pop III and Pop II stars are the parents and grandparents of our sun. Our sun is a Pop I star. Pop II and Pop III stars were short lived like dinosaurs being big and massive compared to our Sun.

The importance of studying these stars is that they give us insight into how stars and galaxies were formed within the first billion years after the Bing Bang. The Big Bang Theory says the universe started with an infinitely hot and dense

state that inflated and stretched, first at unimaginable speeds, and then at a more measurable rate over the next 13.7 billion years to the still-expanding cosmos that we know today.

Abdul Latif explains, “These stars tell us how heavy elements were produced in the universe (elements heavier than helium, in astronomy we call them metals). They also emitted plenty of radiation and led to the re-ionization of the universe.”

These stars tell us how heavy elements were produced in the universe (elements heavier than helium, in astronomy we call them metals). They also emitted plenty of radiation and led to the re-ionization of the universe.

The research

The research carried out studies on how the JWST observations can detect the first stars, the Population III stars. JWST is the James Webb Space Telescope; the biggest space telescope ever launched which can detect/observe infrared light. One of the prime objectives of this mission is to detect primeval galaxies, the host of Population III and Population II stars. These observations will shed light on the formation and evolution of the first stars and first galaxies.

Previous studies have not investigated the entire possible range of halo masses and redshifts that may help in their

detection. Motivated by the prospects of detecting galaxies up to z ∼ 20 ( Z scores tell you how many standard deviations from the mean each value lies. Converting a normal distribution into a z-distribution allows you to calculate the probability of certain values occurring and to compare different data sets) in the JWST early data release, the research quantifies the contribution of Population III stars to high-redshift galaxies from 6< z<30 About thousand galaxies have been detected at z > 6 (Bouwens et al. 2016; Oesch et al. 2016; Finkelstein et al. 2022; Harikane et al. 2022; Schaerer et al. 2022) with candidates up to z ∼ 20 being revealed in James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The research results were rendered by employing the semianalytical model A-SLOTH, which self-consistently models the formation of Population III and Population II stars along with their feedback.

Abdul Latif explains that A-SLOTH is one of the most complete models which includes all the relevant astrophysical processes required to study the formation of Population III and II stars as well as to make solid predictions for JWST for the large sample of statistically significant galaxies. He adds,” A-SLOTH is computationally more efficient compared with similar models, a publicly available model and the only model which traces the formation of individual stars. It has been calibrated with observations of local galaxies.”

Results

The research results suggest that the contribution of Population III stars is the highest in low-mass halos of 107 –109 times the mass of our Sun. While high-mass halos of

1010 solar masses contain less than 1% Population III stars, they host galaxies with stellar masses of 109 solar masses as early as z ∼ 30. Overall, the apparent magnitude of Population III stars gets brighter toward higher redshift due to the higher stellar masses, but Population III dominated galaxies are too faint to be directly detected with JWST. The research results predict JWST can detect galaxies up to z ∼ 30, which may help in constraining the initial mass function of Population III stars.

Hence, what does this mean for humanity and space exploration? Abdul Latif states, “Our results suggest that the best candidates for searching for Population III stars are low-mass galaxies from 10< z <30, which are challenging to detect with JWST, and the contribution of Population III stars decreases to less than 1% in massive galaxies. We further predict that JWST can detect galaxies up to z ∼ 30 as their AB magnitudes (The AB magnitude system is an astronomical magnitude system. Unlike many other magnitude systems, it is based on flux measurements that are calibrated in absolute units, namely spectral flux densities) which lie within its range. These findings may guide observers in planning their observations and help to improve spectral modeling of highredshift galaxies.” High redshift galaxies mean the galaxies which are the most distant ones, billions of light years away from Earth. They were the first galaxies to form in the universe after the Big Bang.

Importance for UAE space exploration

The study of the farthest galaxies ever formed is extremely

important for space exploration in general and the UAE’s space exploration in particular. Abdul Latif explains, “We predict that JWST can detect galaxies about 37 billion light years away from us and these galaxies were formed only about 100 million years after the Big Bang. This is unprecedented in terms of space exploration as we have never been able to detect such distant galaxies. Thanks to advancements in technology and human endeavors, we are now in a position to do that. Our work will guide the scientists working with JWST to plan their observations and what to expect in terms of properties of such objects.”

By studying this unique sample of galaxies, researchers will be able to study the statistical variations among the properties of high-redshift galaxies, such as stellar masses, luminosities, star formation rates, fraction, and contribution of Population III stars to their host galaxies. Abdul Latif concludes, “I often tell my students that JWST is a time machine which allows us to look back in time by observing distant objects. Therefore, basically, we will be looking back in the past of our universe, how it looked like when the universe was in its childhood.”

Definition of Population

I, II, III stars

Astronomers grouped stars in the order they were observed, so Pop I stars are present-day stars, with Pop II stars being one generation older. Pop III stars are the hypothesized oldest stars in existence.

UTILIZING AI AND MACHINE LEARNING, THE UNIVERSITY

OF SHARJAH IMPROVED DETECTION OF RADIO SOLAR BURSTS AND METEORS IN UAE

Aisha Abdulla Alowais

Sharjah Academy for Astronomy,

Space Sciences & Technology

University of Sharjah Research Analyst

Two studies aim to make the detection of both solar bursts and meteors more efficient, accurate and effective using technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Deep Learning, a branch of Machine Learning.

Aisha Alowais, a research analyst at the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences and Technology (SAASST) of the University of Sharjah (UoS), worked on both researches, one entitled; Classification of Incoming Radio Data from a Solar Radio Spectrometer and the other entitled; Meteor detection and localization using YOLOv3 and YOLOv4.

Aisha Alowais works in the Space Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, where her focus is directed toward developing machine learning algorithms in space and astronomy-related projects. Among the laboratories she collaborates with is the Radio Astronomy Laboratory, which conducts studies concerning observing radio solar bursts to understand the behavior of the sun in the field of solar physics. Along with her team, Aisha developed a machine learning algorithm for radio solar bursts detection and classification.

Space research involves dealing with vast amounts of data, much like the work we do at the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences, and Technology (SAASST).

The first study looked into the phenomena of solar bursts which are generated through the acceleration of energetic electrons during solar eruptions such as flares and Corona Mass Ejections (CMEs).

These bursts offer crucial information about the Sun›s behavior, magnetic fields, and underlying processes. They also provide insights into fundamental plasma physics and space weather.

In addition, studying them helps scientists to predict potential hazards such as geomagnetic storms and radio communication failure.

The Challenge

There are challenges with studying solar bursts, one of which is detecting them in radio spectrometers. Radio frequency interference and other observation equipment factors are challenges. One of the biggest challenges is noise interference which overshadows the actual detection of solar bursts.

Consequently, operators must spend considerable time filtering out true data from false data, impacting efficiency. Early research efforts utilized image processing techniques such as the Radon and Hough transforms to automatically detect Type II and III solar burst events, respectively.

Alowais explains, “Space research involves dealing with vast amounts of data, much like the work we do at the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences, and Technology (SAASST). Our antennas, designed to capture radio waves from the sun, the Milky Way, and Jupiter, also pick up a lot of terrestrial noise in the radio background. Upon converting them to a digital format, the background noise including the phenomena of interest, the solar bursts, are together displayed on a spectrogram, needing to be processed. This is where technology, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI), plays a vital role in making our research more efficient.”

She adds, “For instance, AI helps us automatically detect and identify radio bursts amidst all the noise, significantly streamlining the process.

When trying to detect solar bursts into two classes, the researchers have divided the dataset into two classes, either “event” which represents a solar burst, or “No Event” representing noise.

The Solar Burst study

In 2022, the total number of solar burst observations was 32, which is considered a small number for training machine

learning algorithms effectively, so Alowais and the team employed image processing techniques and augmentation to address these limitations and expand the dataset.

The team utilized deep learning; a sophisticated area of machine learning inspired by the structure of the human brain. It uses layers of algorithms called neural networks to process data in complex ways. In our solar burst research, we applied deep learning to quickly analyze vast amounts of data, identifying solar bursts and classifying them into their respective types.

Two models were developed. Each model was evaluated separately.

For the Event Detector with LeNet-5, the model achieved performance with an accuracy of 0.96, indicating that it accurately classified whether a solar burst event existed in an

image. The loss value of 0.06 was relatively low, suggesting that the model was well-tuned and effectively minimized errors during training.

For the second model with VGG-16, it demonstrated higher performance levels. It achieved an accuracy of 0.99, indicating its proficiency in correctly identifying the specific types of solar bursts present in the images. The loss value of 0.03 was remarkably low, implying that the model›s predictions closely align with the ground truth labels.

For instance, AI helps us automatically detect and identify radio bursts amidst all the noise, significantly streamlining the process.

The Findings of Solar Burst Study

The findings in this study hold promising implications for both solar radio burst research and the broader field of deep learning applications. The developed models demonstrated their potential in enhancing the automated detection and categorization of solar radio burst events, a crucial task in space weather monitoring.

Given that the method of capturing data is labor-intensive, such automation processes are in high demand. In line with this, such studies will advance the understanding of solar radio bursts, ultimately benefiting space weather monitoring and prediction systems.

The study also laid the groundwork for future endeavors in refining the models, expanding the dataset, and exploring additional regularization methods.

Meteor Study

In the same respect, meteors in the UAE are observed daily using the U.A.E. Meteor Monitoring Network (UAEMMN).

By September 2022 for example more than 40,000 meteors were observed. However, due to the high sensitivity of the network, it also captured non-meteor objects such as airplanes, birds, insects, and space debris in the atmosphere.

Consequently, to accurately identify and label meteors, the study employed object detection algorithms to reduce data and accurately detect meteors and non-meteor objects.

For the research on meteor detection Alowais and the team utilized The YOLOv3 and YOLOv4 object detection algorithms, utilizing convolutional neural networks. The models were trained on both an imbalanced and a balanced dataset that consisted of thousands of images.

Alowais states, “YOLOv3 and YOLOv4 are versions of an algorithm designed for real-time object detection. YOLOv4 is an improved version of YOLOv3, featuring enhancements that increase its accuracy and detection speed. We utilized both to evaluate the impact of these improvements on our research. The results of our study show that each surpasses the other in certain aspects.”

The imbalanced YOLOv4 model yielded the highest recall score of 98.5% followed by the imbalanced YOLOv3 model with a recall score of 98%. The highest accuracy result was also achieved by the imbalanced YOLOv4 model, with a score of 90%. Overall, all the four models were successful at labeling meteors with a confidence of more than 95%.

The study represented a significant contribution to the field of meteor-related image analysis using low-cost cameras and machine learning. It had promising implications for further research and development in this area.

The researchers trained a machine learning model (ML) with thousands of images from the (UAEMMN), featuring both meteors and non-meteors. This training enabled the model to distinguish between these objects accurately. The ML model employed deep learning techniques and focused on object detection, a process that recognizes and pinpoints the location of objects within an image. This approach significantly enhanced the precision of the meteor detection efforts.

These deep learning frameworks could detect, locate, and label meteors within an image by generating bounding boxes. The use of this software would streamline the process of separating meteor images captured by the UAEMMN cameras from other data.

The results of the study demonstrated that both models effectively classify and locate meteors and not meteors in images. One key advantage of the proposed models is the high accuracy in labeling objects of both classes, achieving a correct prediction rate of up to 90% and higher.

Another advantage was the fast prediction time, with the

models being capable of detecting objects in hundreds of images in a matter of minutes. Although the validation results were lower than those of other studies, the testing results indicated that YOLOv3 and YOLOv4 are highly suitable models for meteor detection and localization.

By automating routine tasks, researchers can focus more on innovation, driving forward the development of new algorithms and technologies.

The impact on UAE Space Exploration

The first research has led to the development of an automated system for detecting radio solar bursts. Alowais states, “This system sends real-time alerts to researchers. This advancement can enhance global radio solar burst monitoring and significantly benefit the UAE›s space exploration efforts by providing crucial data more efficiently.”

In terms of the meteor detection study, Alowais believes that the research enhances global meteor detection and supports the UAE space program because it extends the capabilities of the UAEMNN by applying these methods to other data driven projects.

She explains, “We are educating future scientists by incorporating this advanced technology into student training programs. This dual approach advances our algorithm-

development capabilities and contributes to positioning the UAE as an active participant in space exploration and research.”

Alowais, believes that AI, machine learning, and deep learning are revolutionizing astronomy and space exploration by efficiently processing the vast amounts of data these fields generate. This could facilitate groundbreaking discoveries, advance the understanding of the universe, and enhance space exploration capabilities.

She comments, “By automating routine tasks, researchers can focus more on innovation, driving forward the development of new algorithms and technologies. SAASST is committed to nurturing the next generation of scientists and researchers by hosting interns annually in a specialized 8-week summer program. This program is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to excel in space exploration and research, offering hands-on experience with the latest technologies and methodologies, including AI, machine learning, and deep learning.”

UAE RESEARCHERS DEVELOP A METHODOLOGY FOR ASSEMBLING SATELLITES IN ORBIT

Dr. Mohamed Okasha

Arab Emirates University Associate Professor Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

United

The satellite design process has always faced constraints on mass and volume due to the practical limitations of the boosters. These traditional launch methods are not realistic for large satellites and structures. Even if massive boosters capable of launching these large structures existed, the cost would be expensive.

This is why Mohamed Okasha, Associate Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at United Arab Emirates University, worked on a study entitled, “Optimal consensus control for multi-satellite assembly in elliptic orbit with input saturation”. The study sought an alternative method, an in-orbit assembly, that offers a more flexible framework for launching large satellites at a lower cost. This study was supported by the startup grant funded by the College of Engineering at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU).

Optimal consensus control is a sophisticated technique that allows a group of satellites to achieve a common objective efficiently, with minimal central coordination.

The Study

The study introduced an approach to assemble satellites in orbit by designing a control system using optimal consensus control.

Okasha states, “Our research focuses on the innovative approach of assembling satellites in orbit, which is crucial for advancing space exploration. This method significantly reduces launch costs and overcomes limitations related to payload size and mass, enabling the construction of largescale space structures. This advancement is pivotal for future ambitious missions and the development of essential space infrastructure.”

Our research focuses on the innovative approach of assembling satellites in orbit, which is crucial for advancing space exploration.

The research proposed that, instead of launching an integrated system, the system should be divided into numerous elements. Then, each element would be launched into orbit separately and assembled there. Using this technology would allow the space sector to build large structures such as telescopes and solar panels, as well as the assembly of small satellites to a specific configuration.

However, designing a control system for multi-satellite assembly is challenging because it requires an accurate model of the satellite’s relative motion. In addition, optimal fuel consumption has to be ensured while considering the hardware limitation of the actuators (e.g., input saturation).

The design process becomes more complex when the satellites are partially communicating, where each satellite

does not have access to the states of all other satellites in the team.

As such, the paper proposed a control technique that overcame these challenges. The paper proposed a control system based on the discrete-time model of the Tschauner–Hempe (T–H) equations, taking advantage that the T–H equations are linear time-periodic.

Okasha explains, “Optimal consensus control is a sophisticated technique that allows a group of satellites to achieve a common objective efficiently, with minimal central coordination. It uses discrete-time control strategies and optimizes communication between satellites, ensuring stability

and precise assembly despite input saturation, which is the incapacity of actuators to exceed certain thresholds. This method stands out for its efficiency and minimal reliance on extensive communication, distinguishing it from traditional control techniques.”

The Optimal Consensus Control is much better than the Model Predictive Control (MPC) which has been widely used in multisatellite systems for solving an online optimization problem. Despite the fact that the Model Predictive Control provides a framework for handling different constraints on the input and the state, it requires high computational processing to solve the optimization problems within the sampling time. Hence, the paper addressed the optimal discrete-time control problem of multi-satellite assembly considering partial communication and input saturation.

The Results of study

The work designed an optimal discrete-time control system for multi-satellite assembly using the discrete-time periodic Riccati equation and analyzed its stability under input saturation using the discrete-time T-H model.

Okasha explains, “The proposed control law in our research exhibits superior tracking accuracy and requires less control effort compared to existing methods. This implies our approach can more precisely control the satellite formation with lower fuel consumption, enhancing the feasibility and sustainability of in-orbit assembly missions. It represents a significant advancement in the field, offering practical and efficient solutions for space operations.”

Benefits for UAE satellite assembly projects

The efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed control law makes it highly applicable to UAE›s satellite assembly projects. According to Okasha, it provides a promising solution for precise and efficient in-orbit assembly, with potential for future advancements.

He adds, “As technology progresses, further research may introduce even more optimized control laws, but our current findings lay a strong foundation for practical application and innovation.”

KHALIFA UNIVERSITY STUDY: THE FIRST LIMBS SCAN OBSERVATION OF MARS CO MOLECULE

Dr. Nayla El Kork (Associate professor at the Department of Physics at Khalifa University) and her research group, provided insightful data to the EMM ( Emirates Mars Mission) science team for a better analysis of spectra collected by the Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS), onboard the EMM spacecraft, better known as the HOPE probe. EMUS is used to image the upper atmosphere of Mars at wavelengths extending from approximately 100 to 170 nm.

This work was presented at the AGU annual meeting 2023 under the paper entitled, “P51E-2749 Retrieval of Ar (Argon), N2 (Nitrogen), O (Oxygen), and CO₂ (Carbon Dioxide) in the Martian Thermosphere Using Dayglow Limb Observations by the Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer”. This investigation reports the first limbs scan observation at Mars of ultraviolet emissions Ar I 106.6 nm, N I 120 nm, and carbon monoxide (CO) Hopfield-Birge C–X (0,0) at 108.8 nm and E–X (0,0) at 107.6 nm.

Limb scan observation can be understood by considering the term “Atmospheric Limb”. The term represents the outer edge or boundary of a planet›s atmosphere as viewed from space.

University Associate Professor Department of Physics

Dr. Nayla El Kork

Khalifa

When observing a planet from a distance, such as from a spacecraft or satellite, the atmosphere appears as a thin layer surrounding the planet. The limb is the apparent edge of this atmospheric layer as seen against the backdrop of space.

As such, a limb scan observation involves systematically scanning or profiling a planet›s atmosphere along its limb, or outer edge, from a spacecraft or satellite. In the case of EMUS onboard the HOPE probe, special observations were designed for the EMM insertion orbit to allow for atmospheric limb scans.

The research helped to better understand the composition and emission properties of Mars constituent atoms and molecules.

According to El Kork, the molecular CO emission lines obtained in collaboration with the ExoMol team were used by the EMM team to understand the abundance of atoms and molecules on Mars.

El Kork states, “The research will be used to understand the Martian atmosphere›s composition better. More specifically, the UV emission lines we calculate are used to better analyze the spectra recorded by the Emirates Mars Ultraviolet spectrometer onboard the HOPE probe.”

Emission profiles of different species in the Martian atmosphere can be very hard to analyze, and the work provided ways to distinguish between emissions of different constituents, in the deconvolution process. As such, the

research helped to better understand the composition and emission properties of Mars constituent atoms and molecules.

The EMUS limb scan observations were used to retrieve altitude profiles of number density for argon, molecular nitrogen, atomic oxygen, and CO in the upper atmosphere of Mars.

The

UV emission lines we calculate are used to better analyze the spectra recorded by the Emirates Mars Ultraviolet spectrometer onboard the HOPE probe.

CO is a sensitive tracer of the thermal profile and winds in Mars› middle atmosphere and the chemistry that balances CO2 in the atmosphere of Mars.

The CO number densities retrieved from EMUS observations provide an important first step towards filling a gap in the knowledge of the abundance of CO and its variability at altitudes from 100 to 160 km.

Importance of studying CO emissions

The importance of studying CO emissions is that it offers better knowledge about interactions between the lower and higher atmosphere of Mars.

El Kork explains, “Our research comes in as a continuation to the MAVEN mission, which aimed to understand the structure, composition, and dynamics, of the Martian atmosphere, as well as to investigate how the loss of volatile compounds, such as water and carbon dioxide, has affected the planet›s climate over time. In other words, this research allows us to

better understand the depletion processes, which are thought to be responsible for the transformation of Mars from a rich water containing planet into the current arid one.”

The depletion can be attributed to many processes, one of which is the photochemical dissociation of Carbon Dioxide, the most abundant gas on the red planet, into Carbon Monoxide molecules and Oxygen atoms.

El Kork states, “CO molecule is consequently a very important indicator in the atmospheric chemistry of Mars and knowledge

about its abundance provides insights into such complex chemical processes happening in the atmosphere, including interactions with other gasses and the influence of solar radiation. This was an essential component of both the EMM and MAVEN missions.”

The effect on UAE Mars Mission

This research falls directly into the theme of the UAE MARS mission. The research helped to elucidate the hidden information about the Martian atmospheric limb including Nitrogen, Argon and CO emissions.

El Kork elaborates, “This data is of high importance in the understanding of the different chemical and photochemical processes that take place in the Martian atmosphere, at different altitudes, an important piece of the puzzle in our quest for Martian atmosphere exploration”.

In terms of future missions such as the UAE Asteroid Mission, El Kork believes that while different in nature, she is still considering ways to which they can make a contribution.

A journal paper including these results will soon be available to the scientific community and the audience interested in the subject.

RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND THE PLASMA PROPERTIES AROUND SATURN MAY HELP SPACE MISSIONS

Prof. Ioannis Kourakis

Khalifa University Professor Mathematics

Ioannis Kourakis, Professor of Mathematics at Khalifa University and Theme Leader for magnetospheric modeling at Khalifa University’s Space and Planetary Research Group, along with colleagues carried out a research entitled “Significance of Kappa Distributed Electrons on Electrostatic Solitary Waves in Saturn’s Magnetosphere” with the ambition to understand the statistical properties of electron populations in space plasmas, and the role of kappa distributions, which helps in the study of phenomena like the solar wind, planetary magnetospheres and astrophysical jets, among others. The findings might offer space missions such as the UAE Asteroid mission more information on the plasma environment around stellar bodies to better enhance spacecraft instruments, design, and more.

Over the past few decades, a range of theoretical models and experiments have provided ample evidence for the occurrence of kappa distributions in various space plasma environments. Among various planetary magnetospheres, Saturn’s magnetosphere, for one, makes an excellent testing ground for the investigation of kappa-distributed electrons.

The Cassini spacecraft Mission detected suprathermal electrons around Saturn. Such nonthermal populations are efficiently described by the Kappa distribution function. Motivated by this fact and by observations of electrostatic solitary waves (ESWs) in planetary magnetospheres, Kourakis and his colleagues formulated a theoretical model to explore the significance of the electron parameters in the evolution and the characteristics of ESWs occurring in Saturn’s magnetosphere.

The method provides an efficient tool for understanding ESWs and their dependence on electron statistics, which may be vital in characterizing the microphysics of Saturn’s magnetosphere.

Kappa-distributed electrons

Kappa-distributed electrons refer to a type of particle distribution commonly observed in space plasmas. As Kourakis explains, “In simple terms, a «kappa distribution» in this context describes how the electrons’ speed values are spread, statistically speaking, in a particular environment, such as plasma in space. The term «kappa distribution» comes from the mathematical formula used to describe how these electrons are distributed in velocity space. The kappa distribution function is a way to model the behavior of electrons in plasma based on certain parameters. In essence, kappa distributed electrons have a distribution that deviates from the more familiar Gaussian (bell-shaped curve) distribution, that boasts numerous applications in statistical physics or in financial (stock market) dynamics, for instance.”

He adds, “A kappa distribution has a long tail, meaning that there are more electrons at high energies compared to what a Gaussian distribution would predict. This type of distribution is often observed in space plasmas, where various factors like turbulence, magnetic fields, and particle interactions can affect how electrons are distributed and energized”.

Importance of studying Kappa distributed electrons on Saturn

Matter in the regions surrounding planets in our solar system usually consists of ionized gases, formed by numerous particles that are electrically charged. These are either electrons or ionized atoms. This type of ionized gas environment is called plasma.

Kourakis explains, “It is believed that 99% of the matter in the Universe is in plasma state, often referred to as the 4th fundamental state of matter, alongside solid, liquid and gas. Given that Saturn›s magnetosphere itself is a complex environment influenced by various factors including the solar wind, the planet’s strong magnetic field, and of course the plasma characteristics in that region, investigating the behavior of electrons with kappa distributions on electrostatic waves helps scientists understand energetic particle dynamics within this magnetosphere, including how energy is transferred and distributed among different plasma constituents.”

In addition, electrostatic waves play significant role in energizing and scattering charged particles within the magnetosphere, and thus studying the interaction between kappa-distributed electrons and these waves, allows researchers to learn more about how

wave-particle interactions affect particle acceleration, transport, and loss processes in Saturn›s magnetosphere.

The Innovative Finding

This research, unlike others carried out before, is the first ever comprehensive work to predict the possibility for the existence of certain non-conventional solitary wave (pulse) structures such as the so-called super solitary waves and also flat-top solitary waves in Saturn’s magnetosphere.

Kourakis comments, “From a wider perspective, our methodology is not only relevant with modeling plasma behavior in a planet’s surroundings, but it may also inspire works in other fields, in Physics, and even trigger fundamental mathematical work on the foundations of these “exotic” solitary waves (localized waves) predicted in our work. We still have a long way to go, until the formation and behavior of such waves has been thoroughly elucidated.”

Effect on Space studies and exploration

While this specific research covered the role of kappa-distributed electrons on electrostatic waves in Saturn’s magnetosphere, the same methodology adopted in this study could be extended to similar environments on other planets.

Kourakis states, “Our research can provide valuable insight into the fundamental physics governing solitary waves occurring in a

variety of space plasma environments, for instance in planetary magnetospheres and in the solar wind. This may help improve space weather prediction and may thus assist in optimizing the design of future space missions.”

Our research can provide valuable insight into the fundamental physics governing solitary waves occurring in a variety of space plasma environments, for instance in planetary magnetospheres and in the solar wind.

Plasma waves and their interactions with different electron populations play a significant role in shaping the magnetosphere environment. Understanding the role of kappa distributed electrons can enhance the ability to predict and mitigate potential hazards for spacecraft and astronauts operating in Space.

This research can also lead to more accurate simulations of the dynamics of plasma waves in planetary magnetospheres, inside the solar system, improving the prediction of what one might expect to encounter in these environments, in the context of future space exploration.

Finally, the knowhow gained from studying the role of kappadistributed electrons can help optimize the design and planning of future space missions to Saturn and to other planets. Kourakis adds, “Understanding space plasma better can help in optimizing spacecraft trajectories, instrument configurations, and data

analysis techniques. Some knowledge of plasma environments surrounding planets may be crucial for assessing the habitability of planets or their moons.”

Findings of research

This research relies on a sophisticated mathematical technique. By adopting a pseudopotential methodology and a multi-ion/ multi-electron plasma-fluid model as a starting point. The analysis established a pseudo-mechanical energy balance equation in terms of the electrostatic potential associated with electric field pulses in the magnetosphere. Nonlinear solutions were thus obtained numerically, in order to understand the salient features of electrostatic solitary waves in Saturn’s magnetosphere.

Thorough analysis has revealed that an increase in the nonthermal electron component results in the formation of larger amplitude solitary structures. The model was compared with real observations of electrostatic solitary waves and the theoretically predicted values came out to match the characteristics of the observed waveforms to a highly satisfactory extent.

Potential Benefits to the UAE Mission to the Asteroid Belt

Although Kourakis has no specific formal association with the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA) at the moment, space missions in general may benefit from research carried out by him and his collaborators, as their results will allow the

science team behind the mission design to better understand the plasma environment around a stellar body, be it a planet or an asteroid.

Kourakis states, “Insights gained from this research can inform the design of spacecraft instrumentation necessary for monitoring plasma waves. It can also be crucial for future missions, including the design of spacecraft systems that can operate effectively in such environments.”

Kourakis believes that better understanding of how energetic electrons affect plasma waves can contribute to improving spacecraft navigation and maneuvering strategies, by optimizing navigation routes and avoiding potential hazards.

He adds, “Not less importantly, electrostatic plasma waves can also interfere with communication systems onboard spacecraft. Research in this area can help in developing robust communication systems that are resilient to disruptions caused by plasma waves, ensuring reliable communication between the spacecraft and Earth-based control centers.”

AN EARTH-SIZED EXOPLANET MIGHT BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN LIFE SAYS NEW YORK

UNIVERSITY ABU DHABI RESEARCHER

Research Scientist Center for Astrophysics and Space Science

New York University Abu Dhabi

Dr. Mohamad Ali-Dib

NYU Abu Dhabi (New York University Abu Dhabi) researcher at the Center for Astrophysics and Space Science, Mohamad Ali-Dib, believes that an Exoplanet which is 90 light years away from earth might be able to sustain life. While we will never go there according to Ali-Dib given the current technology available, the planet is interesting because it might be able to sustain life.

Mohamad Ali-Dib contributed to the paper, entitled “A temperate Earth-sized planet with tidal heating transiting an M6 star” published in the journal Nature.

The Exoplanet

The name of the Exoplanet is LP 79118- d. It is almost the same size as earth and is about 1.5 million years away to reach with our current technology.

The team that Ali-Dib participated in, led by the University of Montreal, discovered and studied the planet using NASA’s Spitzer Space telescope and transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) along with many other observatories. Mohamad Ali-Dib was already well acquainted with the team from the University of Montreal given he had worked there for two years before moving to the UAE.

Temperate Earth-sized Exoplanets around late-M dwarfs offer a rare opportunity to explore the conditions under which planets can develop habitable climates. M dwarf stars have a mere fraction of the sun›s mass and luminosity but are 10 times as common in the galaxy. Planets circling an M dwarf must hence orbit close to the star to be warm enough for life.

The report noted the discovery of a temperate Earth-sized planet orbiting the cool M6 dwarf LP 79118-. The newly discovered planet, LP 79118-d, has a radius of 1.03 ± 0.04 R and an equilibrium temperature of 300–400 K, with the permanent night side plausibly allowing for water condensation.

LP 79118-d is part of a coplanar system and provides a sofar unique opportunity to investigate a temperate Exo-Earth in a system with a sub-Neptune that retained its gas or volatile envelope. The gravitational interaction with the sub-Neptune prevents the complete circularization of LP 79118-d’s orbit, resulting in a continued tidal that heats its interior and probably strong volcanic activity on the surface.

The significance of the findings

The discovered planet might be able to hold life and is of interest due to a combination of factors.

First, it might be able to undergo volcanic eruptions as often as Jupiter’s moon Io,(Io or Jupiter I, is the innermost and secondsmallest of the four Galilean moons of the planet Jupiter) the most volcanically active body in our solar system.

Moreover, the study noted that one side of the planet permanently faces the star, which means one side is in perpetual day and the other in perpetual night. This state is referred to as Tidal Locking. This tidal locking, and the resulting volcanic activity, might allow the planet to host a significant atmosphere and can result in water condensation on its night side.

This is significant, because the ability of a planet to sustain water in liquid form is a key ingredient to its potential habitability.

Ali-Dib states, “There are several factors that make this Exoplanet so interesting, first the planet is the size of Earth, secondly the planet is probably tidally heated which is the source of its energy and volcanic activity. Finally, it orbits a low mass star, which means we can study its atmosphere much easier.”

There are several factors that make this Exoplanet so interesting, first the planet is the size of Earth, secondly the planet is probably tidally heated which is the source of its energy and volcanic activity.

Dr. Ali-Dib specifically led the study of the planetary system’s stability and discovered that the orbits of its planets are longterm stable.

He adds, “The planet is not gravitationally affected by the other planets due to its proximity to the star. At these close distances, tides counter («dissipate») the main gravitational effects (orbital excitation) of the other planets.”

Next Steps

Planet LP 79118- c has been approved to be observed using

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in an effort to investigate its role in sustaining life in the planetary system.

According to Ali-Dib, the James Webb Space Telescope will give more details about the planet’s atmosphere. He states, “We don›t know what that would look like exactly, this is why it is exciting.”

He adds, while it will only take hours to study the planet with the James Webb Space telescope, the time spent waiting for your turn to use the telescope, then publishing the results, is either months or sometimes years.

Ali-Dib will be part of the next phase as well.

While the study might not have direct implications for the UAE›s asteroid or lunar missions, Ali-Dib believes that these discoveries could encourage Exo-planetary research here in the UAE.

KHALIFA UNIVERSITY RESEARCHES SUSTAINABLE FUEL FOR AVIATION IN UAE

Dr. Steven Griffiths

Khalifa University Senior Vice-President, Research and Development, and Professor of Practice, Research and Development

Steve Griffiths Senior Vice-President, Research and Development, and Professor of Practice at the Khalifa University of Science and Technology, is representing the university in one of the biggest programs for research into renewable and advanced fuel technologies for Aviation in UAE.

The program is the first of its kind and brings together policymakers, regulators, fuel producers, academia and researchers, as well as aircraft and power plant manufacturers including airline operators. It includes names, such as ADNOC, Boeing, Emirates, ENOC Group, Etihad, Honeywell, Khalifa University, and Masdar.

The program has been established as a consortium aimed at developing a center called Air-CRAFT (UAE Centre for Renewable and Advanced Fuel Technologies for Aviation). The Air-CRAFT initiative is endorsed by the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, as well as the General Civil Aviation Authority. It is focused on developing, producing, and scaling sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technologies.

Air-CRAFT is a regionally first-of-its-kind initiative that brings together entities across the value chain, industrial policy makers, aviation regulators, fuel producers, academia and researchers, aircraft, power plant manufacturers, airline operators as well as international entities.

This is part of UAE’s efforts to reach net zero by 2050. Air-CRAFT will support the decarbonization of the aviation sector, which is a key sector for the UAE given that the country is a global hub for long-haul international aviation.

Research topics for Air-CRAFT will include environmental impact assessments, feedstock and process optimization, techno-

economic assessments and research into the production of alternative fuels for the aviation sector.

As per Griffiths, Khalifa University places the UAE’s energy transition at the core of its strategy. He stated, “Given the critical importance of aviation to the UAE economy, the Air-CRAFT initiative, aligns seamlessly with Khalifa University’s research agenda, is of considerable importance. Khalifa University looks forward to serving as the cornerstone of Air-CRAFT’s research, technology development and human capital development activities.”

Griffiths is the Principal Investigator for the program at Khalifa University and engaged in the steering committee overseeing the development of Air-CRAFT.

The program is the first of its kind and brings

together policymakers, regulators, fuel producers, academia and researchers, as well as aircraft and power plant manufacturers including airline operators.

Alternative Fuels

In terms of the aviation industry, alternative fuels are central to decarbonization, and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are the cornerstone. These fuels can be derived from non-petroleum feedstocks, like municipal waste, used cooking oil, agricultural residues, forestry waste, algae and more.

In addition to those are what are known as electro fuels, power-toliquids (PtL), or synthetic fuels which are produced from hydrogen (from water electrolysis) and captured carbon dioxide, using renewable electricity.

Griffiths explains that the alternative fuels being looked into for long-haul aviation are mainly drop-in replacements for fossil-based jet fuel. The alternative fuels can be carbon-neutral if renewable energy is used for hydrogen production, although the carbon dioxide produced from combustion also needs to be considered and accounted for properly. Carbon-neutrality is best achieved when the carbon dioxide used in fuel production is captured directly from the air.

SAF plays a key role in decarbonization of the aviation sector, especially towards meeting early emissions reduction targets.

Griffiths explains, “Drop in fuels are seen as an option for hard to electrify transport sectors like aviation, shipping, and long-haul trucking. Drop-in fuels that can be blended with conventional jet fuel at varying ratios require no changes to aircraft, engines, or fueling infrastructure.”

In addition, the lifecycle carbon emissions from drop in fuels are typically 50-80% less than conventional jet fuel.

According to Griffiths there are seven approved production pathways with more in development. The most common

production pathways in existence are Fischer-Tropsch, and hydroprocess esters and fatty acids (HEFA).

To date they only make up less than 0.1% of total jet fuel use, however numerous airlines have pledged to ramp up adoption.

Griffiths believes that while other sources of fuel or aircraft, including hydrogen and electricity from batteries are relevant for certain applications, SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel), which is the focus of Air-CRAFT, will be the decarbonized fuel technology required in flight routes where direct electrification or hydrogen use are not considered technically feasible.

Even in the long run, flights covering routes of distances greater than or between 3,500 km to 4,000 km will need energy-dense fuels like SAF. Such long-haul routes typically are served by high passenger count airframes powered by turbofan engines and are a key source of global carbon emissions from aviation.

Implications on Future Space Fuels

In terms of utilization of alternative fuels for space activities, Griffiths says that hydrogen has a role to play but not necessarily in SAF.

He states, “Yes, hydrogen has a fuel role in space, but we are not working on space fuels in Air-CRAFT. For space, liquid fuels would be, for example liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen which are used for many rockets today. These are clean burning fuels that operate robustly under the conditions required for space applications.”

Effect of Sustainable Fuels in other sectors

Aviation is one of the foundational elements of globalization, and sustainability should be a part and parcel of its growth.

In 2019, the global aviation sector accounted for 914 Mt (metric tons) of CO2 emissions, which represented 2.1% of all anthropogenic CO2 emissions. In 2022, global CO2 emissions from aviation reached approximately 80% of 2019 levels, and preliminary data for 2023 indicate that passenger numbers are back to pre-pandemic levels.

As such Griffiths believes that the move toward decarbonization of aviation achieving net-zero by 2050 will require a portfolio of options, including novel aircraft designs (engines, airframes, etc.), operational improvements and new infrastructure, aimed at addressing both CO2 emissions and non-CO2 effects.

In conclusion, SAF plays a key role in decarbonization of the aviation sector, especially towards meeting early emissions reduction targets.

While the current aspiration is for 449 billion liters of SAF to be produced in 2050, less than 0.1% of this amount, or roughly 300 million liters, was produced in 2022.

This implies that more than a 1,500-fold increase in SAF production is needed in just under 27 years, which translates into roughly 5,000–7,000 new production facilities, requiring a considerable global investment that could amount to as much as $1.1–1.45 trillion.

UAE TO LEAD THE DISCUSSION ON SPACE ECONOMY, DARK AND QUIET SKIES AND CLIMATE

In a white paper published by the Global Future Council on space, for the Space for Net Zero of the World Economic Forum, more than 50% of essential climate variables are measurable only from space. Consequently, satellites are critical for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions and different climate change indicators. Their measurements of air and sea surface temperatures, sea levels, as well as other space-based observations, reveal important consequences of a warming, changing world.

In addition, the space economy globally is now worth $546 {was $469 in 2021} billion dollars, with a double-digit growth forecast for the next few decades. More importantly is that the space economy will provide opportunities for growth for less developed countries as well, contributing to the achievement of the sustainable development goals.

However, there are gaps in modeling, mitigation and coordination. While hundreds of institutions conduct research into relevant climate change processes, a Global Earth Operations Center has yet to be established that leverages space data and expertise to conduct multidisciplinary science and engineering research,

Dr. Simonetta Di Pippo

Abu Dhabi Professor of Physics

New York University

inform decision-making and coordinate net zero efforts.

This is why the topic of Dark and Quiet Skies as well as New Geopolitics in space has become very important to Space exploration discussions. There is no better Professor to cover this topic than Simonetta Di Pippo, Visiting Professor of Physics at the New York University Abu Dhabi. She holds a master›s degree in Astrophysics and Space Physics from Sapienza University of Rome and has held prominent positions advocating for developing a space economy that can benefit humanity and tackle climate change.

She is also the director of SEE Lab (Space Economy Evolution Laboratory), Professor of practice of space economy, at SDA Bocconi School of Management. She was also the director of UNOOSA (United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs). In addition, she has been awarded with two honors causa degrees, in Environmental Studies and a PhD in International Affairs.

She also served as Director of Human Spaceflight at ESA, Director of the Observation of the Universe at the Italian Space Agency and led the European Space Policy Observatory at ASIBrussels. She is an Academician of IAA (International Academy of Astronautics) and member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on space since 2016. In 2009, she founded Women in Aerospace Europe and in 2017 she became UN International Gender Champion.

Why the UAE

Today Di Pippo, given her exposure at a global level on space related topics, was invited by NYUAD, to teach at a J-term in January 2019. She proposed ‘space diplomacy’ as the topic for her course. The course was a real success. This led to a tighter collaboration and in 2022, Di Pippo was appointed as Professor of Practice of physics teaching Space Diplomacy as a core course in both FALL 2 and SPRING 2, two times within one academic year.

Asking Di Pippo what attracted her to the UAE, she explains, “From March 2014 to March 2022, I served as the Director of the United Nations Office for outer space affairs. When I took up duty in 2014, the UAE Space Agency had still to be created and the country was not even a member yet of the Committee on the peaceful uses of outer space (COPUOS), the Committee in charge

of dealing with outer space matters at the UN. I accompanied the process for the UAE to become a COPUOS member, which happened in 2015.”

She also jointly organized the first two editions of the World Space Forum in Dubai in collaboration with Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC), in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

I really support the idea for the UAE to become a center of gravity for discussing the politics associated with space activities nowadays.

In addition, she signed, in her capacity as Director of UNOOSA, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with both the UAESA and the MBRSC, with the aim of involving the UAE more and more in the UN multilateral process in space activities.

This culminated in the UAE chairing the COPUOS for two years with H.E. Omran Sharaf, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Advanced Science and Technology.

She explains, “I was always there, available and keen to support this process of growth.”

Di Pippo expresses her affinity to the UAE and the relationships she has developed especially to NYUAD for their teaching approach.

She reaffirms,” I really support the idea for the UAE to become a center of gravity for discussing the politics associated with

space activities nowadays. My support in this respect is provided also through the Abu Dhabi Space Debate strategy council, which I’m a member of since 2024. We are currently preparing the next ADSB meeting to be held at the beginning of December 2024.”

ADSB meeting

The ADSB meeting will gather industry and government from the highest level. The two-day event is set to debate the space industry’s most pressing challenges and drive the new space economy. Topics will cover the new geopolitics of space, the security of national space assets, space exploration consortiums, the role of foreign policy in enabling space diplomacy, space sustainability, the rise of private sector in space exploration, multiplying the impact of space agencies, space tech innovation, shared global infrastructure, cyber defense for space activities, and finally climate change and the space industry.

The Dark and Quiet Skies

Decades since the beginning of the space era in 1957, with the launch of the first satellite, Sputnik, a lot has changed in the space arena. Currently we face thousands of satellites orbiting our planet in low earth orbit (3001000-km). Orbits are becoming congested and contested, and ensuring the safety, security and sustainability of outer space activities is becoming a difficult challenge. The increase in the number of satellites launched per year has been progressive year after year, but it was in 2019 that

the situation started to become more complex, when megaconstellations came into play.

A Mega-constellation is a constellation of satellites working all together for the same goal, which may be composed of thousands of satellites each. Starlink, SpaceX›s megaconstellation, owned by Elon Musk, will soon have 42,000 satellites in orbit with the aim of connecting everyone everywhere. Others are following with other mega-constellations and other thousands of satellites. While serving a very high purpose of bridging the digital divide and supporting the creation of new markets, the price to be paid by astronomers seems to be high.

Two main factors have an impact on maintaining Dark and quiet skies, the first are satellites reflecting from sunlight and Earth albedo. They emit from radio transmissions and thermal radiation. The main question becomes how to prevent or minimize these effects? Satellite producers are in the best position to positively affect these since some part of the prevention or minimization can be accommodated in the very design of the satellite itself. Legal mechanisms could also be explored.

For example, the Dark and Quiet Skies II report recommends that satellite designs should have the capacity to avoid direct illumination of radio telescopes and radio-quiet zones and the cumulative background electromagnetic noise created by the constellations should be kept below the limit.

Di Pippo explains, “The Dark and quiet skies topic was brought to the attention of Member States at COPUOS under my tenure as Director and I was instrumental in advancing discussions and decisions on it. However, from outside the UN, I see that there is still the need to have a platform for facilitating open and transparent discussions among all the stakeholders, in order to

preserve the needs of astronomers and the sustainability of space science in the future.”

She believes there is a need for a regulatory framework to support the ecosystem. In her opinion this may help satellites’ operations to work in a predictable environment. This requires strong coordination and collaboration among stakeholders.

Di Pippo notes that the UAE can play a strong role in this issue. She comments, “UAE is always very forward looking, and UAE’s vision in space activities is not an exception. In just a few years, UAE became a remarkable country in the space arena, and more is to come soon. I’m confident that we can develop the ecosystem in the UAE with the help of the outstanding profile of NYUAD, my experience and expertise, and UAE’s strategic approach to space. We can give an impulse on the path of finding a good way forward for ‘Visible Certainty: the quest for dark and quiet skies’, which is the title of the 2024 April conference.”

Currently

we face thousands of satellites orbiting our planet in low earth orbit (3001000-km). Orbits are becoming congested and contested, and ensuring the safety, security and sustainability of outer space activities is becoming a difficult challenge.

The conference in April as per Di Pippo aims to hear all viewpoints for ensuring sustainability in space activities preserving dark and quiet skies for astronomers of today and tomorrow. At the

same time, the symposium will allow for mega-constellations to be considered strong supporters of space science and will investigate ways and means to help space scientists to better perform with their investigations.

Di Pippo states, “With all the stakeholders involved, this conference has the aspiration to become a facilitator for exchange of views and to provide some recommendations for a way forward in the relationship between astronomy, space science and mega-constellations.”

Space and climate Studies

More than 50% of essential climate variables are measurable only from space. Many satellites measure different weather, climate change and other properties of Earth, providing data on GHG emissions and insight into the consequences for all aspects of climate.

Di Pippo has also been a strong advocate for Space for net zero whether in her role as director of UNOOSA or in her current role as member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Space.

She even advocated this during her participation at COP28 UAE. She also covers this in her course on space diplomacy.

She states, “This year, the topic will be displayed at the summer J-term where I’ll be teaching Space economy and sustainability. Space economy, green economy and sustainability are strongly interconnected, and strong is also the connection of space with

the 17 sustainable development goals as per the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. UAE did play an important role at COP28, and not only because it hosted it. I’m sure that more can be done, and I’m ready to help.“

The Future and Space Economy

In the final analysis as the space economy grows so will be the need for more sustainable practices in space, and this will require regulations, and increased cooperation.

The OECD definition for space economy is the combination of the specific space industry (i.e., development of satellites, launchers, ground network, etc.) and the applications and services developed including space-based data and applications which is benefiting everyone around the globe.

Di Pippo notes that while in 2021 the space economy was worth $469 billion in 2022 it grew to $546 billion. This will not slow down.

She states, “Space economy is the backbone of the economies of the future in the world, and without it, we cannot support socioeconomic sustainable development. Emerging and developing countries benefit a lot from open and free data access to geolocalization and precise navigation satellites technologies, as well as Earth Observation images. What we need is therefore to improve skills and capabilities in developing countries to utilize space-based data and this can be done through transfer of knowledge and capacity building activities.”

PROFILE

KHALIFA UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR WORKING WITH UAE ASTEROID BELT MISSION TO STUDY THE FUTURE OF ASTEROID MINING

Dr. Mohamed Ramy El-Maarry has always been fascinated with space since his youth in Egypt. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Geology and Chemistry in Cairo University, followed by two master’s degrees in Sweden and France and then a PhD in Goettingen University in Germany for his work at the MaxPlanck Institute for solar system research. He is currently the

Dr. Mohamed Ramy El-Maarry

Director/Associate Professor

Space and Planetary Science Group/ Earth Science

Khalifa University

Director of the Space and Planetary Science Group and an associate professor of planetary sciences at Khalifa University in the United Arab Emirates.

Speaking to Innovation@UAE magazine, El-Maarry discussed the first time he knew that he would work in the space field. He stated, “One of our high school books mentioned combinations of scientific disciplines, terms like biochemistry, and there was one about combining geology and space exploration, called planetary geology and from that moment I knew that is what I wanted to study.”

Astronomy is an ancient discipline studied by the Egyptians, Chinese, and Babylonians among others. As El-Maarry noted, “People always had a connection with the heavens and always wanted to know where they fit in the world. Astronomy affected their livelihood, agriculture, and governed their daily lives.”

This is true to this date, and even more so for the future.

He researches planetary surfaces with a focus on geomorphology and associated physical processes using a multi-disciplinary approach that involves data analysis of remote sensing data, modeling, lab work and comparative planetology mainly through fieldwork.

As such, Dr. El Maarry became involved in space missions in 2006. He has worked with NASA, and ESA (European Space Association). One of those missions was the European Rosetta mission to comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko. He is also participating in the upcoming UAE mission to the Asteroid Belt that is planned for 2028.

An asteroid in his name

Recently, Khalifa University of Science and Technology announced that the International Astronomical Union (IAU) had named an asteroid after Dr. Mohamed Ramy El-Maarry. The asteroid that once bore the designation of 2002 CZ was named (357148) El-Maarry which marked a historic moment for Khalifa University and the UAE space sector.

The Main Belt asteroid 357148 El-Maarry (2002 CZ) is named after him for his services to the planetary science and astronomical communities, and his contributions to better understanding cometary geology.

The asteroid, named after El-Maarry, was discovered on 2 February 2002, through the efforts of a joint venture between the Department of Astronomy and Astronomical Observatory of Padova and the German Aerospace Center DLR Berlin. ElMaarry had carried out several researches such as “Surface changes on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko suggest a more active past” published in Science magazine, which was one of the main reasons for the award received. El-Maarry believes that this has been his highest impact contribution.

At the time, Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive VicePresident, Khalifa University, stated, “The naming of the asteroid by the International Astronomical Union after our faculty marks a significant milestone for Khalifa University and the UAE. The recognition also emphasizes the globally relevant research that our world-class faculty takes up at the Space and Planetary Science Center in scientific exploration. We believe such honors recognize the impactful role played by scientists and researchers in the UAE’s space and astronomy sector while

inspiring the future generation of innovators in science and technology.”

El-Maarry speaking on the award noted that he considered this as a lifetime achievement award and hoped that this would be an inspiration to the next generation of Arab Scientists. He noted that the Earth Sciences department at Khalifa University is the only bachelor’s degree in Earth and Planetary Science in the region.

Speaking to Innovation@UAE magazine, El-Maarry states, “Prior to coming to the UAE I was in the UK. Yet, I was fascinated by UAE’s ambitious plans to develop a space program, and an educational program. For me, this was encouraging because if you wanted a strong science exploration program you needed an educational foundation. So, when Khalifa University advertised for a bachelor program in planetary science, I applied.”

He adds, “It has always been a dream one day to contribute to the space ambitions in the region. I know how the Arab world is fascinated with space science. I wanted to contribute if not in Egypt, then anywhere in the Arab world. This has always been my dream.”

The study of small bodies

El-Maarry studies what is called small bodies. The small bodies in the solar system include comets, asteroids, the objects in the Kuiper Belt and the Oort cloud, small planetary satellites, Triton, Pluto, Charon, and interplanetary dust.

These small bodies are very important because they are the building blocks of the planets that exist today.

PROFILE

According to El-Maarry, “These small bodies are what built the planets we have today. They are leftovers from planet-forming processes and are as old as our solar system. They have been there since it was formed.

He views them as fossils that allow scientists to study the history of the solar system. He dubs asteroids as the Lego pieces for inner planets including Mars, Venus, and Mercury, whereas icy small bodies are the same as the outer planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Importance of small objects in space

The scientific consensus is that major mass extinctions were carried out by asteroids such as the last big asteroid that hit the earth 65 million years ago leading to the extinction of the dinosaurs. Many asteroids can be perturbed through gravitational interaction with larger bodies shifting into a trajectory that can hit the earth.

El-Maarry notes that the earth is always bombarded by small bodies, in the form of meteor showers and some can post significant damage like the one that happened in 2013, where a large meteor stretching almost about 19 meters in diameter and weighing 12,000 tons was speeding towards earth at 65,000 kilometers per hour. It entered the earth’s atmosphere over Siberia, Russia. The explosion created a huge cloud of dust and gas, followed by a massive shock wave and a huge amount of meteor fragments.

As such, one of the reasons for studying small bodies is the significant damage they might cause even though the probability of this happening is very low. As a scientist, ElMaarry believes it is one of their responsibilities. Planetary defense missions test strategies to deflect small bodies, but there is also a need to identify as many of these bodies. He states, “By studying these bodies, we can know years in advance which are dangerous and change their trajectory.”

One example was NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) investigation team which showed that their spacecraft’s kinetic impact with its target asteroid, Dimorphos, successfully altered the asteroid’s orbit. That marked humanity’s first time purposely changing the motion of a celestial object and the first full-scale demonstration of asteroid deflection technology.

Another reason to study small objects is to study and ultimately mine asteroids, and possibly other planetary bodies.

Working with UAE Asteroid Belt Mission

Currently, El-Maarry is working closely with the UAE asteroid Belt mission team. He is a member of the science team and works closely with engineers to study the constraints of the mission, design, and feasibility, as well as how to achieve the best scientific results. Ultimately, the real aim will be the study and data analysis that will come after the mission is done.

According to El-Maarry, “One of the main aims is to study the asteroids in the belt that are water-rich. The mission aims to understand their composition, their role in the formation of the solar system and test maneuvers for future space mining.”

He emphasizes that one of the targets for future exploration of small objects, and specifically what the UAE is doing is mining. One day, it will become economical to mine asteroids and extract valuable rare earth elements such as cobalt, iron, platinum, gold, diamonds and other elements.

This is becoming more feasible due to reusable rockets developed by SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and other companies. Since 2005, launch costs for payloads have plummeted by a factor of approximately 20 per kilogram and they could drop further.

El-Maarry states, “The UAE asteroid mission will look into viable means for space mining, and how we can safely extract precious metal resources from these small bodies. Whatever is

on Earth is on asteroids and there is a race to mine them. Space exploration missions are racing for these rights.”

Asteroids for life

Water-ice can be a significant component in many asteroids. El-Maarry states one of the primary research topics for the UAE Asteroid belt mission is to study the history of water in the solar system.

He explains, “The source of water on earth is not from inside of earth itself but from the asteroids and comets that hit earth. All water on each was delivered to us by asteroids, and comets. Earth was very hot when it formed so all water on it is extraterrestrial”.

Water will be a valuable resource in the future, for the building of colonies on the Moon or Mars, for powering space missions, by using it as rocket fuel and many other utilities. El-Maarry has been studying ice and its distribution, particularly on how it is distributed on Mars.

Mohamed El-Maarry is one of the editors of the book“Ices in the Solar-System: A Volatile-Driven Journey from the Inner Solar System to its Far Reaches”. The book explores the origins, evolution and distribution of various ice species throughout the solar system. It focuses on how ice migrates outwardly from Mercury, the Earth and the Moon, Mars, then Ceres and other volatile-rich small bodies; it carries on with the moons of Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus, followed by Pluto and other Kuiper Belt/Trans-Neptunian objects.

The Future

According to El-Maarry, the UAE space program is not just for the sake of science but will also be a prelude to testing new technologies and setting up new generation companies and ventures. It will also spur educational institutions and the private sector to further develop the space sector.

Finally, he concludes, “Space exploration is a collaborative venture with contributions from different countries and cultures because you cannot do it alone. It is a global collaboration, and the UAE has an important role to play as much as other countries as well as even global private companies.”

FEATURES

KHALIFA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

OFFERS LOWCOST

MISSIONS TO THE INNER MOONS OF SATURN

Associate Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering

Khalifa University

Khalifa University of Science and Technology’s (KUST)

Associate Professor, Dr. Elena Fantino along with fellow colleagues carried out a research entitled “End-to-end trajectory concept for close exploration of Saturn’s inner large moons” which presented a trajectory concept for a small mission to the four inner large satellites of Saturn.

Dr. Elena Fantino

The importance of this research is that instead of using very costly chemical propulsion rockets, the research comes up with high efficiency electric propulsion, gravitational assistance and weakly-captured trajectories that allows long close observation periods without the need for high energy utilization.

Why Saturn and its moons

Leveraging the high efficiency of electric propulsion, the concept enables orbit insertion around each of the Saturn moons, for arbitrarily long close observation periods. The mission starts with an Earth-Venus-Venus-Earth-Saturn interplanetary transfer, where a combination of multiple gravity assists and deep space low thrust enables reduced relative arrival velocity at Saturn, followed by an unpowered capture via a sequence of resonant flybys with Titan.

Fantino explains to Innovation@UAE magazine, “In the most recent mission to Saturn, the Cassini mission carried out by NASA ( National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and ESA ( European Space Agency), they detected the presence of chemical elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, which play a fundamental role in producing amino acids, the constituents of protein which is means/indicates the possibility of life. The mission raised new questions about the existence of liquids either because they are clearly seen or because they are suspected to be under the surface through subsurface oceans.

Already, high emphasis has been given to new missions to Saturn, including an Enceladus multiple flyby probe and lander

and a Titan orbiter. An Enceladus Explorer (EnEx) is a planned interplanetary orbiter and lander mission equipped with a subsurface maneuverable ice melting probe suitable to assess the existence of life on Saturn›s moon Enceladus, while a Titan orbiter is ae manned spacecraft which makes up one element of the Space Shuttle system. It can transport into near Earth orbit (area in space from 115 to 690 miles from the Earth›s surface) cargo weighing up to 56,000 pounds, and it can return to Earth with up to 32,000 pounds. The Titan orbiter is orbiting around the Saturn moon, Titan.

This is because of the confirmed presence of liquid water, which likely extends beneath the entire surface; Enceladus is considered the best candidate to host life.

Challenges with Cassini mission

According to Fantino, what was missing from this mission was that the spacecraft did fast flybys passing with high velocity close to the moons of Saturn and even if it was doing it many times, it was not the same as orbiting around them with continuous view of the subject.

Moreover, placing a spacecraft in orbit around a planet or moons requires a huge amount of propellant using traditional rockets. Fantino explains, “A spacecraft orbiting around the moons of Saturn cannot be done as it will need enormous amounts of fuel to launch, propel and decelerate. So usually, missions pass by these moons when they are orbiting the planet. Yet, the next level of exploration of the solar system will require placing aircrafts around the moons of giant planets like Saturn.”

The Solution

Consequently, Fantino came up with a solution that allows the transfers between moons using a low-thrust control law that connects unstable and stable branches of the invariant manifolds of planar Lyapunov orbits from the circular restricted three-body problem of each moon and Saturn. The exploration of the moons relies on homoclinic and heteroclinic connections of the Lyapunov orbits around the L1 and L2 equilibrium points. These science orbits can be extended for arbitrary lengths of time with negligible propellant usage.

The L1 and L2 equilibrium points are Lagrange points (or equilibrium points) located on a line containing the Earth and

sun with L1 between the Earth and sun and L2 beyond the Earth away from the sun.

She states, “I used particular types of orbits that already exist, called low-energy orbits or weak capture orbits which have less gravitational attraction and thus need less energy. The orbits used simultaneously rotate around the moons which are orbiting Saturn. This makes it easier to get there and easier to escape.

The research combined electric propulsion, not chemical rocket propulsion which burns a large amount of mass, giving a lot of thrust in a short time. She explains, “The electric propulsion is different, thrust is produced by ions accelerated by an electric or a magnetic field. The mass of the ions is very small, resulting in low thrust, but when such thrusters are operated continuously over long times, large variations of velocity can be obtained.”

As such, the research showcases a complete trajectory concept departing from Earth to a tour of the ILMs (Inner Large Moons) with minimum fuel consumption. The study makes use of stateof-the-art methodologies, including patched conics, gravity assist, optimal control, and dynamical systems tools. The aim is to minimize cost (velocity variation or propellant mass) while ensuring a mission timeline of an acceptable duration. For this reason, the gravitational field of planets and moons is utilized to a large extent so as to minimize the use of the thruster and limit the time of flight.

Another feature of the work is that it is a complete plan including a re-designed interplanetary trajectory with global optimization techniques and a revised Saturn Orbit Insertion (SOI) and transfer to Dione, the first moon of the tour.

As per Fantino, “The mission based on our research will allow us to orbit all four moons of Saturn instead of just one.”

The trade off

While the research ensures less utilization of propellant, the time-of-flight increases. In addition, on planets far from the sun, you cannot use solar radiation as a source of energy. Solar panels are not efficient.

The research resolved this by utilizing an RTG (radioisotope thermoelectric generator), a nuclear system based on a radioactive material, such as an isotope of Plutonium, emitting ionized particles through its decay. The heat produced by the impact of the particles with the shield surrounding the core is then transformed into electricity through a thermocouple. The efficiency of this conversion is very low, resulting in low power levels for the propulsion system. This explains why the thrust used in this mission concept is kept so low, explains Fantino.

Fantino adds, “The limitation in power means a longer interplanetary transfer. In our concept it would take 12 years to reach the moons of Saturn. However, once there using the trajectory we built, it would take less fuel to orbit.”

The

limitation in power means a longer interplanetary transfer. In our concept it would take 12 years to reach the moons of Saturn. However, once there using the trajectory we built, it would take less fuel to orbit.

In addition, while in traditional captured orbits the spacecraft would be closer to the moon, in the research concept, the distance of closest approach is larger (2000 kilometers) however, the loops around the moons can be performed many times. Fantino states, “You can stay for as long as you want on these orbits, which also serve as gateways that take you from one moon to the other. As such, you have a longer observing time of the surface of these moons, allowing you to

accumulate several hours of observing time for every point on the surface.”

The Future of low-cost missions

Fantino believes that this research will be beneficial for studying planets further away such as Uranus and Jupiter in addition to Saturn.

While the Cassini mission to Saturn lasted 13 years, including two extended missions, the concept proposed by Fantino, and her collaborators offers a similar performance as the spacecraft will be able to carry out observations of the system of Saturn and also while spiraling from one moon to the next. Fantino states, “There is a lot to discover between the moons.”

The research will help to launch missions at lower cost. Fantino carried out some rough estimates for Innovation@UAE on the cost of a mission using the research trajectory and power.

She explains, “The cost of construction would range between 300 and 600 million dollars. The operations are rated at $20 million per year, yielding $400 million for a mission lifetime of 20 years. While the launch can be made at a cost-effective rate of $20 or $30 million if the launch is shared, otherwise, a reasonable price would be $40 50 - million. Hence, in the worst-case scenario, we would have a total cost of just above $1 billion. In comparison Cassini/Huygens (also a 20-year mission) had a cost of almost $4 billion.”

The cost savings are massive.

UAE involvement

According to Fantino, as a professor at one of the leading universities in the UAE, her aim is not only to carry out research and eventually launch a mission, but it is also to teach. She states, “Everything I do is about transferring this knowledge to the young generation.”

At the same time, she believes that the UAE is mature enough to develop and conduct a mission of this kind. She states, “The mission to the Asteroid Belt is more challenging to the mission suggested in our research.”

For her, if the UAE alone or with others were to carry out this mission and find materials similar to what we have on Earth, such as finding liquid water in a system of moons so far from the Sun, this would be a great deal for space exploration.

Title of Published Paper:

End-to-end trajectory concept for close exploration of Saturn’s Inner Large Moons

Published in: Science Direct

The Impact Factor: 24.2

It is published by Elsevier

The Journal is indexed

The SJR ( SCImago Journal Rank) 563

UAE GENE EXPRESSION RESEARCH TO BE UTILIZED BY ASTRONAUTS TO SAFEGUARD THEIR HEALTH DURING LONG

MISSIONS

As the distance and duration of human spaceflight missions increase over the coming decades, with more astronauts staying longer in space, the health impact of long-term exposure to cosmic radiation and microgravity has become an ever more pressing issue.

Introduction

Alia Al Mansoori an Emirati scientist, former Research Fellow, at New York University Abu Dhabi, developed an experiment which was then published under a research entitled,“Gene expression studies using a miniaturized thermal cycler system on board the International Space Station”.

The experiment aimed to identify the molecular mechanisms underpinning the effects of space travel on human health, by

FEATURE

monitoring changes in gene expression and DNA integrity in space.

It all started when she took first place at the UAE’s inaugural Genes in Space competition, where she first introduced the experiment. She then traveled to the United States and worked with the Harvard University team and later the Kennedy Space center where she watched a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carry her experiment into orbit.

Alia Al Mansoori

New York University Abu Dhabi

An Emirati scientist, former Research Fellow

This was the first ever experiment from the UAE. It was conducted by NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson.

The research reported the successful implementation of three molecular biology procedures on board the International Space Station (ISS) using a miniaturized thermal cycler system and C.

The research

The research reported the successful implementation of three molecular biology procedures on board the International Space Station (ISS) using a miniaturized thermal cycler system and C. elegans, which are worms that are unsegmented lacking a respiratory or circulatory system, as a model organism: first, DNA extraction–the initial step for any type of DNA analysis; second, reverse transcription of RNA ( Ribonucleic acid) to generate complementary DNA (cDNA); and third, the subsequent semi-quantitative PCR amplification of cDNA to analyze gene expression changes in space.

According to Al Mansoori, “These molecular procedures represent a significant expansion of the budding molecular biology capabilities of the ISS and will permit more complex analyses of space-induced genetic changes during spaceflight missions aboard the ISS and beyond.”

Al Mansoori explains, “One of the most vulnerable sites for cosmic radiation damage is DNA. Mutations can lead to

the development of cancer. In addition, the combination of microgravity and cosmic radiation can negatively impact many normal biological processes in the skeletal, immune and nervous systems of humans and other organisms. The alterations in gene expression precede and accompany physiological changes which help to predict and understand the nature of the damage.”

During long-term space missions, detecting molecular changes in the DNA and RNA of astronauts will be useful to monitor their health and inform possible treatments.

The study tested three of the major techniques used on earth to monitor gene expression (Gene expression is the process by which the information encoded in a gene is turned into a function), as well as detect DNA sequence changes on board the ISS.

The astronaut only used a miniaturized thermocycler system. A thermal cycler is an instrument that amplifies target nucleic acid sequences into millions of copies via polymerase chain reaction. A DNA extraction experiment was performed, then reverse transcribed RNA into cDNA, and performed semi-quantitative PCR on board the ISS. These experiments provided a foundation for more complex experimental procedures to monitor molecular changes to human health in space.

The experiment revealed that three additional molecular techniques can be performed in space, thus expanding the molecular capabilities of the ISS which can be conducted entirely in a miniaturized thermocycler system.

Al Mansoori explains, “By achieving what we did in this experiment, we can reduce time, space, and cost of operating multiple pieces of equipment and training required for astronauts

to perform numerous molecular biology procedures. Soon, astronauts will be able to generate and analyze data on their health and the molecular status of the living environment entirely in space.”

This is important given that a round trip mission to Mars is expected to take approximately three years. As such, the astronauts on the mission need to be entirely self-sufficient to survive the hostile environment of deep space. Not only will they be solely responsible for their own health, but upon exiting Earth’s magnetosphere, the astronauts will be subject to approximately three times the cosmic radiation as spacecraft within Earth’s orbit.

Al Mansoori states, “In order to closely monitor their health, crew members will need to track not only their physiology, but also their DNA integrity. By successfully demonstrating DNA extraction in space, we are one step closer to astronauts acquiring their own biological samples, extracting the DNA and sequencing it. In addition, if a crewmember acquires an infection, in the future, astronauts could theoretically use DNA analysis to identify the organism and any genetic changes it has undergone to inform their decisions for treatment.”

An upcoming research

This is not the only research Al Mansoori has carried out. She has another research which is related to the Emirates mission to the Asteroid Belt. In the research, Al Mansoori uses spectrographic data to predict the composition of the Justitia Asteroid, the asteroid that will be studied during the mission. The craft will

embark on a five-billion-kilometer journey, during which it will use gravity assist maneuvers from Venus, Earth and Mars to reach the asteroid belt.

Al Mansoori explains, “While this research hasn’t been published yet, the importance of it is that it will help to understand the composition of the Asteroid that the UAE is intending to study and this research will help further develop the mission.”

By achieving what we did in this experiment, we can reduce time, space, and cost of operating multiple pieces of equipment and training required for astronauts to perform numerous molecular biology procedures.

She is also working on another research project for her graduation project in Molecular Biology at Edinburgh University, which is known as one of the top 10 universities globally in the field of biology. In her research, she is studying specific bacteria called Magnetotactic bacteria. These bacteria are widespread, motile, diverse prokaryotes that bio mineralize a unique organelle called the magnetosome.

Al Mansoori is studying these specific bacteria which extract iron from its surroundings aligning to the earth’s magnetic field. Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are aquatic microorganisms that have the ability to bio-mineralize magnetosomes, which are membrane-enclosed magnetic nanoparticles. Magnetosomes are organized in a chain inside the MTB, allowing them to align with and traverse along the earth›s magnetic field.

Al Mansoori eventually wants to grow them on an asteroid sample available at the University to study how scientists can use them as bio mining machines. Thus, possibly one day, they can be used to extract iron and other minerals from actual asteroids in space.

UAE: The cornerstone and the Future

The UAE and its continuous strive for innovation was one of the main forces that propelled Al Mansoori to where she is today. While she was always interested in science, it wasn’t until the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center was launched that she had the opportunity to take the first steps towards her dream at the age of 13.

It was then her participation in the UAE space camp and her love for all sciences, physics, chemistry and biology that spurred her achievements further.

Winning the 2017 Genes in Space UAE competition at the age of 15, was the seed for the research on genes that is now published. It all started with a proposal to study how exposure to space affects the health of live organisms at a cellular level.

Al Mansoori contacts scientists and professors asking if there are any spaces for interns. It was then that Professor Mohamed Al Sayegh, at New York University Abu Dhabi, impressed with my work, offered me a fellowship. I will always be grateful for that experience, as I learned so much with the Emirati scientists in the lab.”

She explains, “The UAE doesn’t have just advanced machines

but great minds working on space research. The UAE is constantly striving to be the best, and we are achieving all kinds of milestones such as sequencing the genome of UAE at G42, a company based out of Abu Dhabi.”

Al Mansoori wants to eventually return to the UAE after she studies her Phd in AstroBiology and eventually one day become a UAE astronaut. She states, “I want to eventually do my research in UAE, and develop the science field, and give back to the country that has given me so much.”

Al Mansoori is currently on a presidential scholarship program in Edinburgh.

She ends the interview asking all young people to believe in themselves because nothing is impossible, especially for those interested in the field of science.

Title of Published Paper:

Gene expression studies using a miniaturized thermal cycler system on board the International Space Station

Published in: Plos One

The Impact Factor: 3.7.

The APPLIED ENERGY is a reputed research journal.

It is published by ISSN

The journal is indexed Crossref, Dimensions, DOAJ, Google Scholar, PubMed, PubMed Central, Scopus, and Web of Science.

The (SJR) SCImago Journal Rank is 0.885.

UAE’S MARS ATLAS TO HELP ASTRONAUTS LAND ON MARS

When Dr. Dimitra Atri, and his team from New York University Abu Dhabi, started working on the Mars Atlas utilizing images from the Emirates Mars mission, the HOPE (Al Amal) probe, it was just the beginning of a journey that will culminate in a more informative book that will be published in both English and Arabic which will also be used by astronauts for landing on Mars. Next on Atri’s list is an Atlas for the UAE’s Asteroid Belt mission and innovative projects with the Lunar Gateway mission.

Introduction

Dimitra Atri is a Research Scientist and leads the Mars Research Group at NYUAD Center for Astrophysics and Space Science along with Prof. K.R. Sreenivasan. He is the Principal Investigator of the ASPIRE Award for Research Excellence grant to study the atmosphere of Mars with the UAE’s HOPE mission. Dr. Atri had always been interested in space since his early childhood. As he states, “I knew very early on I would be studying Astrophysics. I did my PHD in Astrophysics in the United States, and before coming to the UAE my focus was on Astrobiology, which is the study of finding life beyond Earth.”

Dr. Dimitra Atri

Group Leader and Research Scientist Center for Astrophysics and Space Science

New York University Abu Dhabi

Although scientists know about planets beyond our solar system, known as Extrasolar planets or Exoplanets, scientists still don’t know if life exists on them or not. The current telescopes are not powerful enough to be able to have a detailed image of them. Hence, Atri noticed that

Mars is just around the corner in our solar system, and at one point it was like Earth, so if we focused on Mars maybe we could understand habitability more.

When he heard the UAE was planning a mission to Mars, he joined New York University Abu Dhabi, and the journey began.

For those who don’t know a lot about Mars, Atri explains that it was very close to Earth in terms of its atmosphere and availability of large bodies of water.

Atri explains, “Ancient Mars would have looked a lot more like Earth of today, than the barren red planet it is today. However, the big question is if there was ever life on Mars?

We are asking how did Mars get transformed from a warm hospitable place to the cold, dry desert world that we see today? Finding answers to these questions about our sibling planet is one of the biggest challenges in planetary science today.”

Why an Atlas of Mars

Exploring Mars is a top priority for space agencies around the globe. This has been going on for the past 50 years.

The UAE is playing its part in uncovering the mysteries of Mars. The Emirates Mars Mission “HOPE,” with its unique orbit and set of instruments, is providing the world with a holistic view of the planet. The mission was commissioned

by the UAE’s leadership in 2014, and in a short timeframe, the spacecraft was launched from Japan on July 20, 2020.

After a 7-month journey, the HOPE probe entered the Martian orbit on February 9, 2021, and operated for two earth years.

This atlas was created with data from the Hope probe and NASA orbiter, to provide readers with a holistic view of Mars and stunning images of the planet that once looked like ours. The Atlas would show how Mars changes during the day and across seasons through the entirety of the mission.

The Atlas was pieced together from 3,000 images taken by the United Arab Emirates’ HOPE spacecraft, and it shows the red planet in its true light.

Atri explains, “I started my research in New York University, Abu Dhabi in 2018, and the first day data arrived from the Mars probe it was a gold mine for us.”

He and his team were doing a number of projects with the HOPE probe mission to understand Mars better. First the mission wanted to understand whether Mars was inhabitable at some point. Atri comments, “More than four billion years ago when Earth came into existence, Mars was very much like earth. It had a thick atmosphere, moderate temperature, so we can ask if there was life on Mars, which may have originated there, and evolved. In addition, we want to know what happened to the climate of Mars, how it became extremely cold, a desert, why did it lose its atmosphere, why did it lose its water?”

Using data from the HOPE probe and NASA rovers whose names are Curiosity and Perseverance, Atri and his research team used the data sent back and visited onsite areas in the UAE identifying places similar to Mars, trying to connect the two environments as there are similarities between them. Both are arid, and both have saline soil.

Why study Mars?

Today Mars has a thin atmosphere and is very cold, reaching -130 degrees Celsius. The thin atmosphere makes radiation levels from the sun and beyond really high, especially charged particles, making the surface extremely hostile.

Atri states, “In its present form Mars is unlivable, its soil is rich in chemical perchlorates used in explosives. This destroys any organic substance, yet we still see complex organic molecules. How do they exist? Once we can figure this out, maybe we can also look below the surface and find richer organic substances. This will show us how resilient life is, and how it can survive in harsh conditions.”

The magnetic field on Mars was once very active, so it deflected particles from the sun and acted like a shield, much like the magnetic field on Earth. However, because Mars is small it cooled down quickly and so its magnetic field died, the solar energy then gradually eroded the atmosphere of Mars. Atri comments, “We understand this physics reasonably well”.

As for Earth, even though our planet has a strong magnetic field, it does have some level of erosion, but because Earth

is so dynamic with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, the atmosphere is replenished. So, for now Atri says Earth is safe. But maybe in the long-term Earth’s magnetic field will weaken and this will erode atmospheric pressure which is needed to sustain oceans. This could happen billions of years down the road.

This is why scientists want to understand this process, and Mars is the best place to do that.

The Benefits of the UAE Mars Atlas

When the first images from the Mars Hope mission were sent back, Dr. Atri was blown away with the quality of the images. He states in an interview, “I had never seen Mars like this.” While others had sent images of Mars, previous orbiters like NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter generally swooped much closer to the Marian surface, at a specific time of day. But you could never see the whole planet at once.

The Mars Hope mission had global coverage and used a quality camera far superior to any used before.

Due to its unique orbit, EMM (Emirates Mars Mission) observations covered Mars’ global geography and local time every 9 10 - days. EMM enabled studies of the dynamics of the Martian atmosphere.

It utilized three scientific instruments to achieve these objectives: Emirates Exploration Imager (EXI), Emirates

Mars InfraRed Spectrometer (EMIRS), and Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS). EMM data are publicly available at the EMM Science Data Center. These instruments made it easier to generalize the data at all locations and local times.

The Global Map of Mars, which is a part of the Mars Atlas, is being used today by NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies. It uses it in its Mars 24 software, which maintains precise timings on Mars. JMARS, a publicly available tool used by NASA scientists for mission planning and data analysis, has also incorporated the new map into its database.

Atri explains, “Accurate land maps and local weather data are critical for landing future spacecraft safely. Understanding daily and seasonal weather patterns can help researchers identify the safest time and location to land. In addition, the Atlas also identifies the best locations for landing or even settling.”

Atri clarifies further, “If you want to study different parts of Mars or understand which regions have certain minerals or big boulders or fine dust you can find all that data in the Atlas and even more data in our upcoming version of the Atlas which we are currently working on.”

The Future of UAE’s Mars atlas and more

The Future will be enriching, not only will Atri and his team be publishing a more detailed book for Mars Atlas, but they

will be doing that in two languages: English and Arabic. According to Atri, an Arabic language Mars Atlas book will engage more people into astronomy, especially the youth of the Arab world. He states, “This will be the first Atlas of Mars in Arabic. The inspiration came from the rich history of Astronomy in the Arab world. This will also establish the UAE as a pioneer by reinvigorating the same tradition of space science in the region.”

The book should be out by the end of 2024.

In addition to the book, Atri and his colleagues are working on a scientific paper to describe the algorithm they used for consolidating the 3000 images that were gathered from the Hope mission. Atri states, “Given that the images gathered from the Mars mission were taken in bits and pieces and under different seasons, in different distances, it was extremely difficult to combine them and make them into this beautiful and uniform Atlas, so we took a lot of time to develop an algorithm that brought it all together to give this complete view.

As for the future, Atri is already working closely with the UAE government to participate in both the Asteroid Belt mission and Moon mission. He states, “We are figuring out whether we will have sufficient data to make either an Atlas or maps that will benefit both the general public and scientific community.”

The Asteroid Belt mission which will launch in 2028 will transit six asteroids and land on the 7th one in 2033. As for the UAE Moon mission, the Lunar Gateway will orbit the moon and the rover will even land on it.

Built with international and commercial partners, The Lunar Gateway will be humanity’s first space station around the Moon as a vital component of NASA’s deep space exploration plans to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Under a new implementing arrangement, the UAE will provide Gateway’s Crew and Science Airlock module, and a UAE astronaut to fly to the lunar space station on a future Artemis mission.

So far Atri is working with UAE students. The team usually consists of anywhere between 10 15 - undergraduates and as Atri explains, they have already trained many UAE citizens and even hired a government funded scholarship student who will work with the team for three years.

The future of space research in the UAE looks bright, and beautiful just as the Mars Atlas did.

Title of Published Paper:

Business Valuation strategy for new hydroponic farm development a proposal towards sustainable agriculture development in United Arab Emirates

Published in: https://marsatlas.org/

The Impact Factor:

It is published by

The Journal is indexed

The SJR (SCImago Journal Rank):

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY ABU DHABI USES JWT

TELESCOPE TO DETECT WATER ON EXOPLANET

Dr. Jasmina Blecic

New York University Abu Dhabi Research Scientist, Center for Astrophysics and Space Science (CASS)

Water has always been considered the source of life, so when researchers find glimpses of it on other planets, it is considered an important discovery that might lead to other even more exciting ones, such as life on other planets.

Jasmina Blecic, a researcher from the Center for Astrophysics and Space Science at the Department of Physics at New York University Abu Dhabi, who holds a Ph.D. in Planetary Sciences, together with a team of scientists, has detected tiny features of water on an exoplanet called WASP-18b. The significance of this report, published in the journal Nature under the title «A broadband thermal emission spectrum of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-18b,» lies in the remarkable precision demonstrated by the James Webb Space Telescope and in the conclusions that could not be drawn using previous space telescopes. Its results offer hope that in the future we will be able to study planets similar to our Earth, which could potentially harbor life.

The research

According to Blecic, these H2O molecules would not have been detected without the James Webb Telescope.

“Prior to the James Webb telescope, we could not see any features in the spectra of this planet, but with James Webb we are able to distinguish tiny water features, despite the fact that this planet is scorching hot and most of the water molecules are destroyed,” Blecic states.

“This is a major advancement in the field of exoplanets, as it opens frontiers for studying Earth-size planets and tiny

spectral features present in their atmospheres, which might infer life outside of our solar system,” she adds.

In addition to water features, the team has also found evidence that the Exoplanet WASP-18b has a large magnetic field. This, according to Blecic, was a very exciting find on its own.

“This is also a major discovery, because before James Webb we could only infer about magnetic fields on exoplanets from other phenomena. However, this time, it is the first instance where we are seeing direct evidence of charged particles moving north and south, following the magnetic field lines similar to Earth,” she highlights.

Conclusions about the existence of the magnetic field on WASP-18b stem from the unexpected distribution of heat on this planet, as explained by Blecic. This planet is tidally locked, similar to our Moon, which means it always presents the same side to its sun. Consequently, one side is superhot while the other, which never faces the sun, is super cold. On Earth, winds blow from hot to cold regions, and scientists anticipated observing a similar phenomenon on WASP-18b.

“The fact that we observed a temperature difference of around 1000 degrees between the terminator region, the boundary between the day and night sides of the planet, and the central dayside region, indicated to us that there are no winds blowing from east to west. We deduced that there must be another mechanism at play on this planet, preventing gasses from moving from the day to the night side. One possibility could be the presence of a magnetic field,” Blecic explains.

Given that the day-side temperature is around 2700 degrees Celsius, most of the water molecules are dissociated into ions (positive and negative charges), which are prone to being led by the planet›s magnetic field. This phenomenon causes the material to move towards the north and south poles rather than east to west.

Observing molecules, minerals, and other matter on exoplanets is not easy. However, this task has been made much easier with the James Webb Telescope, which has demonstrated remarkable precision, stability, and capabilities

James Webb Telescope

that highly surpass those of previous space telescopes such as Hubble and Spitzer.

Blecic explains that the James Webb telescope was initially planned to be launched in 2018 but was delayed until December 2021. Years prior, scientists, including Blecic, gathered to brainstorm which projects would be proposed for the initial years of observation with the James Webb telescope. Three planets were chosen, one of which was WASP18-b.

The primitive materials found on asteroids are the building blocks of planets and give us direct insight into the formation and evolution of planetary systems in general

“WASP-18b held particular interest for us primarily because it stands out as one of the most massive exoplanets observed thus far, exceeding the mass of our Jupiter by a factor of ten. Despite its size comparable to Jupiter, its tremendous mass renders it one of the densest planets ever observed, prompting our exploration into the characteristics of this unique gas giant. Furthermore, WASP-18b orbits its star more than 20 times closer than Mercury does to our Sun, resulting in an extraordinarily hot planetary surface with potentially distinctive atmospheric conditions. However, limitations of previous telescopes hindered our ability to draw definitive conclusions about its atmosphere, compelling us to turn to the James Webb Space Telescope for answers.” Blecic adds.

The UAE asteroid mission and lessons learned

The studies conducted by Blecic on exoplanets using JWST can also play a part in the UAE asteroid mission. Blecic explains that the composition of asteroids reveals a lot about what our solar system is made of. She states, “The primitive materials found on asteroids are the building blocks of planets and give us direct insight into the formation and evolution of planetary systems in general.”

In addition, the chemical makeup of a planetary atmosphere is directly correlated with the composition of the planet›s interior. Atmospheres carry the footprints of those materials, she confirms.

Therefore, Blecic plans to utilize software she built while researching planetary atmospheres to study the composition of asteroids.

«There is a direct benefit from studying asteroids, as it offers us insights into how we came to exist in our solar system. It also helps us understand how exoplanets are formed and how life can be created in systems far from our own solar system,» Blecic concludes.

Title of Published Paper:

New York University Abu Dhabi uses JWT telescope to detect Water on Exoplanet

Interview with Dr. Jasmina Blecic, Researcher NYU Abu Dhabi

Title of Published Paper:: A broadband thermal emission spectrum of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-18b

Published in: Nature

The impact Factor: 64.8

It is published by Nature Portfolio

The Journal is indexed 1. Web of Science UGC, Scopus, PubMed

The SJR ( SCImago Journal Rank) 20.9

It is published by

The Journal is indexed

The SJR (SCImago Journal Rank):

DHABI UNRAVEL

Prof. David Russell

New York University Abu Dhabi Associate Professor, Physics

The universe continues to be a source of mystery for scientists, astronomers, physicists, and others, but each time a mystery is unraveled, the world learns more and in turn is able to enhance humanity’s knowledge.

This is exactly what transpired when a group of scientists, physicists, astronomers from New York University Abu Dhabi, and other astronomers across the globe studied the Compact Star or millisecond pulsar PSR J10230038+. The research report entitled, “Matter ejections behind the highs and lows of the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J10230038+”

David Russell, Associate Professor of Physics at NYU Abu Dhabi, alongside Maria Cristina Baglio, who now has joined a fellowship position in Italy, and Postdoctoral Associates Payaswini Saikia, Kevin Alabarta and Samuele Crespi (Center for Astro, Particle, and Planetary Physics, NYUAD) all worked to uncover the mystery behind the transitional millisecond pulsars, better known as dead stars.

First it is important to understand that stars are formed when molecular clouds in interstellar space, known as stellar nurseries, collapse.

What is a pulsar or compact star?

A star is alive when burning, once the amount of hydrogen is gone, it is extinguished and becomes what scientists call a white dwarf. A white dwarf is the stellar core left behind after

a dying star has exhausted its nuclear fuel and expelled its outer layers to form a planetary nebula.

Once the star explodes, and no longer burns hydrogen, it becomes a compact star, such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes.

Herein comes the term Pulsars, which was the topic of the research. Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars that emit radio waves in beams from their magnetic poles. The radio beam sweeps around as the neutron star rotates, in some cases almost a thousand times every second.

In more scientific terms, transitional millisecond pulsars are an emerging class of sources that link low-mass X-ray binaries to millisecond radio pulsars in binary systems. These pulsars alternate between a radio pulsar state and an active lowluminosity X-ray disc state.

During the active state, these sources exhibit two distinct emission modes (high and low) that alternate unpredictably, abruptly, and incessantly. X-ray to optical pulsations is observed only during the high mode. The root cause of this puzzling behavior remains elusive.

The research

The research was the biggest multi-wavelength campaign ever performed on J1023, a pulsar. It aimed at understanding the root cause of the mode changes while the pulsar was in the active sub-luminous X ray state.

The observations were carried out over two nights utilizing 12 telescopes from radio telescopes to X-Rays. The results provided a physical picture of the high-low mode switches in J1023, which involved a rotation-powered pulsar, an accretion disc, and discrete mass ejections on top of a relativistic compact jet.

By modeling the broadband spectral energy distributions in both emission modes, the report showed that the mode switches are caused by changes in the innermost region of the accretion disc. These changes trigger the emission of discrete mass ejections, which occur on top of a compact jet, as testified by the detection of at least one short-duration millimeter flare with ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/ submillimeter Array Astronomical Observatory) at the high-tolow mode switch. The pulsar is subsequently re-enshrouded, completing the picture of the mode switches.

Russell explains, “First it is important to understand that stars are formed when molecular clouds in interstellar space, known as stellar nurseries, collapse. Stars start burning their fuel and are considered dead when they have burned all the hydrogen into helium. While they are burning, they are bright and luminous.”

He notes, “To date we are still trying in labs to generate the same energy and power that stars do when burning hydrogen, as part of our green energy free power goals, including utilizing our Sun.”

Russell explains, “The pulsar we researched, which is a spinning neutron star, is about as big as the city of Abu Dhabi, and spins 592 times per second. In addition, it contains more mass than the sun, about 12- solar masses and as such is the densest form of matter. When these stars collapse even more, they become black holes.”

What is even more interesting about compact stars, pulsars in particular, is that because they contain a lot of mass, they have a strong gravitational pull that sucks matter in, and so matter orbiting around them gets sucked in.

Located about 4500 light-years away in the Sextans constellation, pulsar PSR J10230038+, closely orbits another star. Over the past decade, the pulsar has been actively pulling matter off this companion, which accumulates in a disc around the pulsar and slowly falls towards it.

To

date we are still trying in labs to

generate the same energy and power that stars do when burning hydrogen, as

part of our green energy free power goals, including utilizing our Sun.

Russell adds, “A normal star like our Sun orbits the pulsar, and sometimes these pulsars, or neutron stars, rip off matter on the edge of the stars that orbit them, and this matter plummets towards the neutron star while doing that it forms the swirling disc. So, the paper studied the behavior of this hot matter surrounding the neutron star.”

The Results

Understanding the strange behavior of the pulsar star was interesting for the scientific community because it would help them to understand the difference between a normal star and a neutron star. In addition, the pulsar becomes even

more interesting because it is behaving differently than other neutron stars observed before.

Russell explains, “When we observed the pulsar using the 12 telescopes at the same time from around the world, we observed that matter goes into the stream onto the disc surrounding the neutron star, and then some matter gets ejected instead of hitting the neutron star, this is when the flare of gas is seen, spitting out. We see it in the form of a flare.”

The pulsar switches between two modes. In the ‘high’ mode, the pulsar gives off bright X-rays, ultraviolet and visible light, while in the ‘low’ mode, it is dimmer. When at these frequencies it emits more radio waves. The pulsar can stay in each mode for several seconds or minutes, and then switch to the other mode in just a few seconds. This switching is what has far puzzled astronomers.

In short, it was discovered that the mode switching stems from an intricate interplay between the pulsar wind, a flow of high-energy particles blowing away from the pulsar, as well as matter flowing towards the pulsar. In the low mode, matter flowing towards the pulsar is expelled in a narrow jet perpendicular to the disc. Gradually, this matter accumulates closer and closer to the pulsar and, as this happens, it is hit by the wind blowing from the pulsating star, causing the matter to heat up. The system is now in a high mode, glowing brightly in the X-ray, ultraviolet and visible light. Eventually, blobs of this hot matter are removed by the pulsar via the jet.

According to Russell, the research offered much information, and currently scientists are studying how much matter is being ejected and if that is consistent with the general relativity theory.

Russell explains, “For us studying a neutron star, like this pulsar, helps us to understand its behavior, the amount of matter blasted into the galaxy, which could influence the structure of the galaxy. For example, if you measure the pulses of the pulsar, you can infer the gravitational waves across the universe.

Gravitational changes were discovered, and gravitational waves are important for understanding physics.

How the UAE can benefit

While Russell spent 10 years in Abu Dhabi at NYU Abu Dhabi, impressed with both the UAE and the university, he never anticipated when he moved that the UAE would be launching their space program.

He states, “While astronomy departments were shrinking globally after 2008, the UAE was expanding it. I am pleased with the support offered to me by NYU Abu Dhabi not only in terms of allowing me to supervise undergraduates for research, or the traveling to seek more knowledge, but in the fact that while astronomy and space science is still in its infancy here, the potential is huge.”

In terms of how the research can benefit the UAE, Russell believes there are two ways to answer the question.

First, within the scientific community, the research helps understand the exotic behavior in space. Each discovery is also an opportunity to understand something in Physics. He explains, “For example Einstein’s theory of relativity is so

good that even now we are trying to prove it’s true in certain conditions. One theory for example is that with black holes and stars, it’s all about gravity, so if the laws of physics can work in those extreme cases it can work in all cases.”

The UAE in its mission to send probes into space, and the moon, complement what is being done in terms of research at UAE universities.

Russell believes that the research allowed scientists to learn more about ejecting matter, and while most are so far away, they don’t affect the earth, some blast waves can travel through the galaxy and interact with our solar system. He gives the example of Betelgeuse (pronounced Beetlejuice) which marks one of the shoulders in the constellation Orion. Its name comes from the Arabic bat al-jawzāʾ, which means “the giant›s shoulder”.

The Betelgeuse now or in a hundred thousand years will explode and given that it is close to earth, when this happens it will be so bright that it will be seen in daytime. While earth will be safe because of its magnetic field, the blast of the explosion will travel to our solar system. After it explodes, it could end up as a black hole, and the shock wave that travels through space might mean that astronauts on the moon will have to stay inside because of radiation exposure.”

Future Research

According to Russell, the team is currently carrying out several projects to study black holes in our galaxy. The importance of this research is that when a black hole becomes active, it sucks up matter nearby, this matter becomes bright Xrays.

FEATURE

He explains, “Using optical telescopes we can spot when an outburst like that starts. This is important to study. For example, last year a black hole got brighter, we discovered heat waves traveling through the disc got hotter and brighter, which helped us once again to understand black holes better.”

NYU Abu Dhabi has PHD students, studying black holes 3000 light years away. If studied thoroughly, scientists can estimate how much matter and energy they give out, helping to understand extreme gravitational objects.

For Russell, the research and sharing it with the general public can increase students’ interest in the topic of space and exploration. He ends, “We do have high school students who are helping us to carry out data analysis. All this will grow the space industry in the UAE and attract youth to it.”

Title of Published Paper:

BusinessMatter ejections behind the highs and lows of the transitional millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038

Published in: Astronomy and Astrophysics

The Impact Factor: 6.5

It is published by EDP Sciences

The journal is indexed in ADS · CAS · CDS; Compendex; Current Contents · INIST · IET INSPEC; PaperChem; Physics Abstracts;

The (SJR) SCImago Journal Rank is 9.937.

UAE’S YOUNG SCIENTISTS

UAE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT DEVELOPS A NOVEL MOF TO CAPTURE AND CONVERGE CO2

Supervisor’s name:

Student’s name:

Ayat Tawfiq Al Nimer

Saif Hassan Ibrahim Mohammad Karam

UAE, high school student, Saif Hassan Ibrahim Mohammad Karam, just 16 years old, has not only won the Sixth edition of the Emirates Young Scientist competition held in February 2024 in Dubai, but did this by developing a material that not only absorbs and stores CO2 more efficiently, but can also convert the CO2 into methane (CH4), and then further convert the methane into Hydrogen as an energy source as well as create formaldehyde which can be used in industrial applications and consumer products.

A student at Secondary Model School in Sharjah, Saif has been participating in the competition for the past four years. The competition is part of NSTI (National Science and Technology Innovation Festival) organized by the UAE Ministry of Education. He was selected among 100 participants. Winners receive different opportunities, one of which is the chance to participate at the International Science and Engineering Fair in the United States happening in May 2024.

The yearly event, held in the first week of February, attracts students and teachers to an environment that fosters a passion for science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

The Emirates Young Scientist Competition brings together leading international experts and institutions in science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. This offers participants the opportunity to learn, share knowledge, discuss ideas and work together to achieve tangible results backed up by scientific research, science and technology with creativity and innovation at its heart.

The research

Saif has always had a passion for research and chemistry. He is also an advocate of solving the ongoing climate crisis given the dramatic increases in greenhouse gas emissions, especially CO2.

With the need to develop aggressive emission strategies, Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies have become a prominent tool with experts using techniques such as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).

These techniques are not without challenges. For example, the natural methods are challenged in terms of scale and permanence while the artificial methods are costly and complex. One of the most advanced methods for carbon capture and storage includes materials like silica-based adsorbents, metal oxides, activated carbons, zeolites, porous organic polymers, and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).

Saif, in his research, introduced a novel way to develop and functionalize MOFs to enhance CO2 capture and conversion capabilities.

This process he undertook, initially converts the absorbed CO2 into methane (CH4), which is then subjected to a subsequent fuel reduction process. This reduction leads to the production of hydrogen as an energy source, with formaldehyde as the oxidation product.

As Saif explains, “My project investigated a novel functionalization method for a metal-organic framework for carbon capture or absorption. Usually, when you functionalize a MOF, you compromise specific morphological and catalytic

properties, further limiting the application and the possibilities. I functionalized the surface of the MOF structure, attaching to their exterior charged materials, making them act as selective gas units with dual catalysts for capturing and converting CO2 without affecting much of the matrix of these materials.

This multifunctional approach to CO2 conversion, fuel production, and reduction within a single MOF structure is unprecedented. In addition, the MOF composite operates under ambient conditions, utilizing room temperature and standard atmospheric pressure, with water employed as the sole solvent and electron donor. The Nanocomposite structures also incorporate novel synthesized semiconductor nanocrystals, known as quantum dots (QDs), in a strategic way, serving as effective photocatalysts.

He explains, “The importance of this research and the process I developed is that it will benefit carbon-capturing technologies. However, I have proceeded to process the captured gas with conversion to energy using the same single material at room temperature with just water as the solvent. This multi-functional material lowered the number of complex components for the process, making it more efficient and cost-effective.”

Saif worked on his research with the help of his chemistry teacher Ayat Tawfiq Al Nimer as well as professors and lab scientists from the University of Sharjah and the American University of Sharjah.

Future plans

The research carried out and the process developed can be patented, however Saif is currently working to get the research published in the American Chemistry Society Journal before the International Science and Engineering Fair in May.

Saif hopes to win. Afterwards, he aims to pursue a degree in chemical engineering and material science from UC Berkeley University.

He states, “I want to pursue a career developing novel materials that could be a potential door for limitless capabilities within wide applications such as energy. This field is especially important, considering carbon capturing, as companies and organizations transitioning to neutrality need to reduce emission to continue existing.

Saif extends his gratitude to all those who supported him in

getting access to the labs at the University of Sharjah and American University of Sharjah. He states, “It was a long and very hard process, but I am happy people believed in me and my work.”

Importance of NSTI

The research, and innovation that Saif innovated would not have been possible if there weren›t fairs such as NSTI organized by the UAE Ministry of Education.

Ayat Al Nimer, Saif’s chemistry teacher adds, “The competition exposes students to proper research methodology, which is very important to have in their early stages of life before they go onto university. Students not only learn to innovate, but also learn to present their work, sell their ideas, and write research reports.”

Ayat is proud of the progress Saif has made over the years since he started participating in Grade 9. She explains that he has been an encouragement to other students. She notes, “Students are now participating as well, and I see more leaning towards chemistry. The competition helped Saif know what he wanted to become.”

She believes that schools should include more hands-on research and experimentation in the curriculum and less material to cover.

She also gives kudos and thanks to the Principal of the Secondary Model School for Boys, Mr. Khalid Obaid Almheiri, and Vice Principal Zaina Hassan Abdalla Alhassouni, for all their support.

Ayat and Saif believe he can win the International Science Fair prize. Ayat explains, “His research is revolutionary. He not only introduced a new technique for MOF functionalization never seen before, but was also able to showcase the first two reaction pathway conversions using two novel catalysts, all in one material. In addition, his application of this strategy showcased results that gigantically supported most benchmarks for capturing and conversion, all occurring under the ambient conditions needed. Even the apparatus he used in testing is also a novelty.”

UAE RESEARCH REVEALS

PREFERRED PLACES TO LAND AND EXPLORE ON MARS

Yousef Mashal Ph.D. Student Khalifa University

While some might think that all it takes to explore Mars is to land on it, the truth is that it requires much more than that. To identify the suitable regions of Mars for future human exploration requires an integration of various data sources, statistical methods and expertise.

Yousef Mashal, Ph.D. student at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi carried out a research entitled “Multi-Criteria Overlay Analysis for Identifying Preferred Exploration Zones on Mars”. Using a number of recently published global datasets, coupled with mapping techniques, statistical analysis, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), he identified new zones on Mars that could be suitable for future exploration.

Yousef Mashal has always been interested in how scientists study earth and other planets using satellite generated datasets which is a field called remote sensing. Remote sensing helps analyze the atmosphere, surface, and subsurface characteristics of celestial bodies.

Mashal explains, “I found that studying outer space is the field I would be interested in the most. In particular, Mars is an interesting body to study. Trying to understand Mars is like playing a puzzle. You try to fit pieces together to extract some valuable information about the history of Mars. If there was life and if there is currently life hidden somewhere on the surface or below. I am convinced Mars will keep attracting enthusiasts with each passing day.”

The research

Using Multi-Criteria Overlay Analysis (MCOA), an analytical GIS technique, he and his team integrated and analyzed multiple spatial datasets published by various projects.

According to Mashal, a Multi-Criteria Overlay Analysis (MCOA) is a Geographic information system (GIS) technique, which utilizes datasets that were created by satellites numerically. He explains, “This technique combines various datasets using statistical analysis to try and extract useful information from them. Combining this method with the newest publications on Mars, we were able to narrow down the process of selecting the landing site to the most suitable ones according to our defined criteria. “

The method has been implemented using open-source tools like QGIS. QGIS is a geographic information system software that is free and open-source. This is a tool that allowed Mashal and his research team to visualize and analyze geospatial information.

In addition to the two above tools, an open-source tool called the GDAL (Geospatial Data Abstraction Library) python library also helped to create maps using criteria suitable to achieve the objectives of our study.

MCOA analysis assigned the highest value for human exploration objectives while assigning NULL values for locations that fail engineering constraints including and not exclusively elevations lower than 2 km, latitudes higher than 50 and thermal inertia < 100 J/m2s12/K. These locations are excluded from the calculations to reduce the area of exploration and reduce the computational cost.

The best locations, those with the highest MCOA values were mainly located in the mid-latitude, with the combination of the Highest Water equivalent hydrogen, Shallow water ice (SWIM), Aqueous Alteration Signatures, valleys, glacial like features, deltas, and major geologic contacts values and density of points combined.

Mashal explains, “Our preliminary studies show that the regions we have selected are promising for further in-depth studies because selecting a landing site for human explorers requires very precise analysis of data at all regional and local scales. This study can be used as a starting point for future studies.”

The study will help to determine future landing sites for both human and robotic missions on planets and asteroid bodies.

Implications for UAE Mars Mission

Mashal believes that the study conducted will not only be able to aid the UAE Mars mission, but also can be utilized for all planetary bodies in the solar system.

Mashal comments, “The study will help to determine future landing sites for both human and robotic missions on planets and asteroid bodies; it can also be used in other applications related to space exploration, like exploring certain types of rocks and minerals. The strength of this method comes from

its flexibility according to the objectives of our mission and study.”

The Future

Colonizing Mars

Mashal has no intent to stop. On the contrary, he plans to continue furthering his knowledge in remote sensing technologies. He believes this area of study will significantly impact the world’s knowledge of space science and other useful applications on earth.

The next frontier is to colonize Mars.

He states,” I believe that the space science community is currently at the stage of trying to understand the origin of our solar system by exploring the planets, moons, and asteroids by both remote and onsite methods. My next step would be to deepen my knowledge of Mars to understand more about its history and the processes that made Mars what it is today. This will hopefully help decision makers to finally reach the goal of colonizing that red planet.”

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