A UAE satellite orbiting in space is able to look into the future to predict dust storms.
DubaiSat-1, which was launched last week, will send vital information back to earth to help authorities better handle the bad weather.
Ahmed Al Mansoori, Director General of the Emirates Institute for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST), which built the satellite, said that it was working well and the centre is expecting to receive the first set of images shortly.
"It will be less than a week before we start receiving images. It is a great achievement for the UAE," he said.
Al Mansoori said the satellite will be able to send images predicting when dust storms will appear in the country so giving residents a warning.
"There are a lot of applications on the satellite. It can also send information on traffic jams," said Al Mansoori.
It can also send images for urban planning, scientific research, telecommunications, transportation, construction and mapping, Al Mansoori said. He was speaking on the sidelines of an event yesterday held to mark the successful launch of DubaiSat-1 from a space station in Kazakhstan.
The UAE has been covered in a blanket of dust for the past few days which affected port operations and prompted doctors to issue a health warning.
"We are proud to state that the UAE has established its own imprint in space research and technologies. This will enable us to provide beneficial solutions that will benefit the nation as well as man-kind," Al Mansoori said.
Adnan Mohammed Al Rais, Associate Engineer of the DubaiSat-1 programme said of the launch: "It was a momentous occasion."
© 7Days 2009
