On May 31, the crew that carried out the so-called Axiom Mission 2 returned to Earth and included two Saudi astronauts in its crew: Ali Al-Qarni, a former fighter pilot of the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces, and Rayyanah Barnawi, researcher and first female astronaut from the Persian Gulf country. During the ten-day mission on the International Space Station, the Saudi cosmonauts conducted a series of experiments related to microgravity and the impact of high radiation on the brain and nervous system.
In the Gulf they look at the stars. This is a project that is part of the Saudi Vision 2030 strategic framework, whose main objective is to reduce Saudi dependence on oil. On the other hand, the United Arab Emirates is also developing very ambitious space projects, such as the study of the Martian atmosphere using the ‘Hope’ probe. In short, both countries are immersed in a competition to become the space power of the Persian Gulf. In fact, the one who has most closely followed the development of Axiom Mission 2 has not been the US, China or Russia, but the United Arab Emirates: Saudi Arabia’s great rival.
Interest in space is growing. For some time, many countries in the world have perceived that space research constitutes an opportunity for economic development. In this sense, a report by Mckinsey & Company published in April 2022 indicated that the number of space agencies had reached 70. Among them is the Spanish Space Agency, announced in 2021 as part of the national security strategy .
Reduce dependence on oil. For its part, Saudi Arabia seems to have understood that, at a time when the world is turning towards energy transition, it is reasonable to reduce its dependence on oil, which represents 80% of Riyadh’s exports. For this reason, the monarchy of the Persian Gulf, which in 1985 sent the first astronaut – Prince Sultan Bin Salmán – and a Saudi satellite, announced in 2020 an investment of more than 2,000 million dollars in its space program.
Diversify the economy. In addition, in December 2022, the Saudi Space Commission, established in 2018, launched the ‘Saudi Space Accelerator Program’, a project established to “support local entrepreneurs and startups in the space sector” as well as enhance the national business ecosystem. All this “in accordance with the 2030 vision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Exploration, tourism and photography. In this sense, the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported last February that the Saudi Space Commission was working to achieve the incorporation of 20 emerging companies in fields such as space tourism, exploration, satellite communication and space photography.
Martian studies in Abu Dhabi. On the other hand, the United Arab Emirates established its national space agency in 2014, and since then it has developed numerous projects. In 2021, the ‘Hope’ probe, part of the ‘Emirates Mars Mission’, reached Martian orbit with the aim of studying the dynamics of the red planet’s atmosphere. In this way, the United Arab Emirates became the first Arab country to reach Martian orbit, as well as the fifth in the world to do so.
The green justification In 2021, Abu Dhabi announced a package of 817 million dollars for the creation of the National Space Fund with the objective of diversifying the economy as well as accelerating innovation of the sustainability environmental. In this sense, it should be noted that oil accounts for a third of all economic activity in the United Arab Emirates.
Marte 2117. One of the tasks of this Emirati National Space Fund is to develop a ‘rover’ to be launched to the moon in 2024. The objective of this lunar mission is to study elements such as “the thermal properties of the lunar surface and the formation and components of the soil mole”. At the same time, one of the projects that best exemplifies Abu Dhabi’s space ambition is the plan to “establish a human settlement on Mars in the year 2117,” according to the Emirati government website.
The US has a lot to say. The plans of the United Arab Emirates led the Arab country to sign, in September 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding with China so that the Rashid 2 rover would be integrated into the Chang’e-7 mission, which is scheduled to start in 2026. and aims to explore the lunar orbit and surface. However, in March 2023 it became known that this agreement conflicted with the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations, so the Emirati incorporation into the Chinese mission was cancelled.
Fears in Washington. In this sense, Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at Harvard University, stated in statements to SCMP that many of the components of the Emirati ‘rover’ were built in the United States, elements that are subject to restrictions so that China cannot access this type of technology. “As far as I know, the concern is that when Rashid 2 arrives in Xinchang for launch on the Chinese rocket, Chinese engineers will sneak in overnight and study all the designs to have them ready in the morning,” McDowell said.
The politics of space. In short, the Gulf countries, led by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, have found an opportunity in space to increase their international weight and develop a possible diversification of their economies. In this sense, both Abu Dhabi and Riyadh are competing to become the main regional space power, a rivalry that is not foreign to the trade war and the technological race between the United States and China.
Image: NASA/Unsplash
In Xataka | NASA already has its Mars simulation habitat ready, a “colony” where four volunteers will spend a year
