Abu Dhabi:The UAE Space Agency and EDGE, through its space entity FADA, have successfully completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) for Sirb-1, the inaugural satellite of the UAE's National Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite programme, Sirb. This milestone marks the transition of Sirb-1 into the manufacturing, assembly, integration, and testing (AIT) phase.
According to Emirates News Agency, the CDR is the final major design review before the manufacture of flight hardware. It evaluated Sirb-1's design and performance against mission requirements, including verification and validation plans, interface controls, mission assurance, risk assessments, and technical and programmatic readiness. The review confirmed the satellite's readiness to proceed to the AIT phase, as well as its plans for launch and mission operations.
Salem Butti Al Qubaisi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency, highlighted that Sirb represents a novel approach to developing national space programmes by placing UAE companies and national talent at the forefront. He emphasized that the successful completion of Sirb-1's CDR is a testament to this model's effectiveness and brings the UAE closer to achieving the goals of the National Space Strategy 2031.
Waleid Al Mesmari, President of Advanced Sensing at EDGE, noted the exceptional speed and efficiency of the Sirb-1 development process, facilitated through collaboration with domestic and international partners. He stated that the mission aims to strengthen sovereign control over space systems and enhance the UAE's global standing in Earth observation systems.
The Sirb programme focuses on building national expertise in SAR technology and developing a domestic industry capable of providing reliable Earth observation data. Unlike optical satellites, SAR satellites transmit their own radar signals, enabling imagery capture under various conditions, supporting applications in environmental monitoring, infrastructure management, and disaster response.
The programme is led and funded by the UAE Space Agency, with a national consortium led by FADA, EDGE's space entity, as the prime contractor. This consortium includes the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), Orbitworks, and other partners, all contributing to the programme's development and delivery. Sirb-1 is set to proceed with its SAR payload's assembly, integration, and testing within the UAE, targeting a launch in 2028.