36
Objects launched
36
Payloads
Most recent objects
GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org)| Object | Launched | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SharjahSat-2 | 2026 Mar 30 | Payload | Operating |
| UAE-813 | 2025 Dec 10 | Payload | Operating |
| HCT-SAT2 | 2025 Nov 28 | Payload | Operating |
| PHI-1 | 2025 Nov 28 | Payload | Operating |
| Foresight-3 | 2025 Nov 2 | Payload | Operating |
| Foresight-4 | 2025 Nov 2 | Payload | Operating |
| Foresight-5 | 2025 Nov 2 | Payload | Operating |
| Etihad-SAT | 2025 Mar 15 | Payload | Operating |
| HCT-SAT-1 | 2025 Jan 14 | Payload | Reentered |
| MBZSAT | 2025 Jan 14 | Payload | Operating |
Objects by decade
GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org)2000s4
2010s6
2020s26
Source: GCAT (J. McDowell, planet4589.org)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Space objects launched | 36 objectsGCAT [2026] |
| First space object | Thuraya 1GCAT [2026] |
| First launch (year) | 2,000GCAT [2026] |
| Most recent launch (year) | 2,026GCAT [2026] |
| Active satellites | No authoritative open source found |
| Total tracked objects | No authoritative open source found |
- 1997 - initiated a national space sector
- 2009 - first remote sensing (RS) satellite (DubaiSat-1) developed jointly with South Korea and launched by Russia
- 2017 - announced Mars 2117 project, which included building a “Mars Science City” as the first step to establishing a human settlement on Mars within 100 years
- 2018 - first domestically produced RS satellite (KhalifaSat or DubaiSat-3) launched by Japan
- 2019 - first UAE astronaut (trained by Russia and US) in space on the International Space Station
- 2020 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for space and lunar exploration
- 2021 - became first Arab country to successfully place a probe (al Amal or Hope) in Mars orbit; announced plans to launch a probe in 2028 to land on an asteroid between Mars and Jupiter
- 2025 - domestically produced advanced RS/Earth imaging satellite (MBZ-SAT) launched by US
Source: CIA World Factbook (Historical Archive — final edition) · CC0 · Edition 2026-05
