On Saturday morning, more than 150 students, donning blue NASA space suits, from a number of schools across the UAE, gathered in the parking lot of Dubai Parks and Resorts to launch their rockets into clear blue skies. Part of a space education programme for children ahead of the UAE’s launch of its first astronaut into the International Space Station (ISS) in September, the event was organised by the Space and Rocketry Academy UAE (SARAUAE), part of Compass International.
All the rockets that were launched were constructed by students as part of the SARAUAE camps across the UAE, and were built from kits that are of a design approved by the National Association of Rocketry.
The instructions for building and launching the model rockets had been overseen by different NASA experts and by Michael Flachbart, who has over 28 years experience in model rocketry in the USA with the NASA visitor centre, U.S. Space and Rocket Center
His Excellency Dr. Eng. Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency attended the event and expressed his excitement at seeing so many space enthusiasts gathered together to put their rocketry skills to the test.
“We are delighted to support the Space & Rocketry Academy UAE and collaborate with Compass International to raise awareness among students, teachers and parents of the importance of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and space exploration by inviting international experts to the UAE to share their knowledge and experience. Through events, initiatives and activities such as the Space & Rocketry Academy UAE the UAE Space Agency aims to build national human capacity and inspire the next generation space pioneers, in line with the objectives of our National Space Program,” said His Excellency Dr. Eng. Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi.