UAE - Mubasher: The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has completed the structure model and initial tests of MBZ-SAT, the region's most advanced commercial satellite in the field of high-resolution satellite imagery.

The team will start preparing the manufacture of the flight model of MBZ-SAT, the second Emirati satellite to be fully developed by a team of Emirati engineers after the KhalifaSat, according to a press release on Wednesday.

Estimated to be launched in 2023, the satellite supports the local space industry, as 90% of the mechanical structure and 50% of the electronic modules have been built in the UAE.

The MBZ-SAT will be the first satellite to detect a larger number of man-made and natural elements with a higher rate of precision and resolution, compared to the current range of Earth observation satellites.

MBRSC is building the satellite in partnership with Strata, EPI, Rockford Xellerix, Falcon Group, and Halcon.

The Director-General of MBRSC, Yousuf Hamad AlShaibani, said: "The milestone further accelerates our satellite programme and catalyses our ambition to be at the forefront of the space sector, utilising technology developments and sharing space resources for the sake of humanity."