Strata Manufacturing merges aluminium honeycombs to create satellite components for MBRSC

Strata Manufacturing (STRATA), in partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), has achieved a significant milestone by producing a satellite component made of aluminium honeycomb panels locally for the first time. This collaboration demonstrates the UAE's technological progress and growing self-reliance as it establishes an indigenous space industry.

STRATA, a Mubadala-owned composite aero-structures manufacturing facility based in Al Ain, has partnerships with major aircraft manufacturers such as Airbus and Boeing and supplies components to Pilatus, SAAB, and S.A.B.C.A. STRATA is supplying locally built components for MBZ-SAT, the country's high-accuracy, high-resolution imaging satellite.

The satellite will be equipped with STRATA's aluminium honeycomb panels, which will make the structure resilient to extreme temperatures and radiation in space.

According to MBRSC, the MBZ-SAT, which is expected to launch in 2024, will meet the growing commercial demand for high-resolution satellite images that show details within an area of less than one square meter. Powered by AI functions, the satellite streamlines raw data collection, processing, and analysis, enabling faster insights and optimized handling of space images.

Compared to the previously launched system, the satellite will improve image capture resolution by more than double and increase the downlink data transmission speed by three times the current capacity. The project aims to showcase the UAE's breadth of capability in the space industry and attract public and private players to the sector.

The fully automated image scheduling and processing system of MBZ-SAT will produce over ten times the images the Centre currently provides, offering a rapid turnaround of captured data. This imagery solution supports various uses, such as mapping and analysis, environmental monitoring, navigation, infrastructure management, and disaster relief efforts.

The director-general of MBRSC, Salem Humaid Al Marri, commented: “As we envision integrating space technology across major sectors in the UAE, it becomes evident that the involvement of relevant entities is crucial. The collaboration and innovation behind MBZ-SAT not only advances the utilisation of satellite-related technologies but also presents a significant opportunity for our local partners such as Strata to advance in the space sector. MBRSC remains steadfast in enabling local enterprises, as we actualise the set vision for space as an active industry within the UAE.”

The managing-director and chief executive officer of STRATA, Ismail Ali Abdulla, exclaimed: “We are thrilled to have successfully delivered the satellite components for the MBZ-SAT project, further strengthening our strategic partnership with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center. Strata is committed to delivering high-quality, globally competitive products that showcase the UAE’s industrial sector expertise.”

MBRSC has a longstanding partnership with STRATA, which supplies lightweight components for MBZ-SAT. This successful collaboration promotes the UAE's self-sufficiency in critical industries like space, reducing their reliance on foreign suppliers. The UAE prioritizes investing in the space industry as a key part of its national industrial development strategy.