On Saturday, July 6, at 05:53am UAE time (01:53:03 GMT), the United Arab Emirates will launch the’ Falcon Eye 1′ satellite in Orbit at the French Guiana Space Center.
‘Falcon Eye 1’ will be the fourth recon satellite launched by the UAE, brings the number to ten satellites in orbit. The UAE is planning to have 12 orbiting satellites by 2020.
Airbus Defense and Space along with Thales Alenia built Falcon Eye 1 with a weight of 1,500 kg. Arianespace will launch it with its Vega rocket. Under a partnership headed by Airbus Defense and Space, Thales formally entered the agreement with the UAE to create the very high-resolution payload for the Falcon Eye program in 2014.
The satellite is equipped with an image mapping system of high resolution. The information it provides to ground command will be used to map and monitor farming, urban planning, environmental changes, and track the borders and coasts of the Emirates.
The satellite was designed, tested, assembled and managed by Emirati engineers at the Advanced Technology Laboratories of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, making it the first satellite to be developed at the facility.
The optical observation satellite of Falcon Eye will provide the military with a new capability and represent the most advanced optics with state-of-the-art capacities in surveillance, intelligence gathering, target acquisition and recon.
It will be used to provide earth photos for practical applications in the disaster relief management, urban development and environmental protection.
