Credit: Khalifa University – DhabiSat

Bahraini youth continue to demonstrate their capabilities and innovations in various fields. Space engineer Ali Al-Qaraan designed a qualitative test platform for cubic satellites based on the magnetic suspension system. It was part of the requirements of his educational and training program in space science and building satellites in the United Arab Emirates. The design of engineer Al- Qaraan is the second of its kind in terms of the technology used; the initial design was developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, which is the most prestigious educational institution in the fields of engineering and technology in the world.

Space engineer Ali Al- Qaraan said, “The ground tests for satellites are considered to be a very important stage of building satellites. It is essential to ensure the efficiency and safety of all existing platforms to simulate the movement of the satellite in the space environment on the surface of  the earth due to the presence of factors, the most important of which is friction that prevents the possibility of testing the magnetic coils, a key part in controlling the movement of the cube satellite”. satellite systems before sending them to space due to the difficulty and futility of maintenance operations in space in general, since navigation and control systems are considered among the most important satellite systems. It is very important to ensure having test platforms for the safety and accuracy of the satellite systems prior to launching to the space. The idea of the design project stemmed from a fundamental challenge in the inability of most of the

He added, “Thanks be to God first and then to the team of NSSA, led by the executive management, headed by Dr. Mohamed E. Al-Aseeri, for this success. The past two years have been full of challenges and obstacles, but, with the support and confidence constantly provided to us by NSSA, we worked in one team’s spirit and were able to overcome difficulties. I shall not forget the role of the United Arab Emirates, represented by the UAE Space Agency and the Khalifa University of Science and Technology, in providing all means of success and creativity for us in the field of space engineering; to them, all thanks and sincere appreciation”.

Space engineer Ali Al- Qaraan recently obtained a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering, specializing in space science and technology, from Khalifa University of Science and Technology as part of the cooperation program in the field of space between the Kingdom of Bahrain and its close neighbor United Arab Emirates. Engineer Al- Qaraan has participated in the design and construction of many satellites, including DhabiSat, which was launched in February 2021. His contribution was the design and testing of satellite control and navigation systems, which are responsible for controlling the satellite’s position in orbit and directing its body.