Abu Dhabi: The UAE Space Agency has made an official visit to the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) to discuss opportunities of cooperation between the two organisations.

The UAE delegation was led by Dr Khalifa Al Rumaithi, chairman of the agency, and included Dr Mohammad Al Ahbabi, director-general of the agency, and a number of senior officials of the agency. They met a number of Isro engineers and officials.

The delegation learnt about the Indian space sector and the different programmes that Isro has led within space exploration. They also looked at India’s satellite launching capabilities.

The visit also involved a tour of the Satellite Assembly and Testing Centre for Isro, where the final tests are made to satellites before they are launched. This was followed by a visit to the Control and Information Centre for the Indian Mars probe project, which was launched in 2013 and began to orbit Mars last year.

The delegation was briefed on the quality and type of information received at the centres and the methods of collecting and distributing this information to other science and research bodies.

Al Rumaithi said: “The UAE and India have deep bonds and connections that span across political, economic, commercial and cultural historic roots. Working together within the space sector will only strengthen these connections and bring benefits to the UAE that include knowledge transfer and human capital development.”

Al Ahbabi added: “India is one of the most advanced nations within the space sector and has a strong foundation and fascinating programmes. We therefore look at ways of working together to build partnerships and transfer knowledge within this exciting industry.”

The agency provided a detailed presentation on the space sector strategy in the UAE, focusing on its objectives, initiatives and programmes. It also provided information on the Mars Probe mission that will be launched by the UAE in 2021.

It is currently working on developing space policies and regulations that will help organise the sector and provide a framework for the various agreements between organisations within the industry. The policies will also help protect UAE interests within space and ensure sustainable development.