French space agency CNES and the UAE Space Agency (UAESA) are close to finalising the preliminary definition of their joint hyperspectral Earth-observation mission.

The two countries signed an agreement to develop a joint hyperspectral imaging satellite to support efforts to tackle climate change in February 2018 during an official visit to the UAE by French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.

CNES President Jean-Yves Le Gall was in Dubai for the World Government Summit, where he met Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Director General of the United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA), and Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, Director General of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC).

In addition to upcoming actions on the hyperspectral mission, discussions also focused on experiments for forthcoming Emirati spaceflights and projects in the field of space exploration and robotics.

Working closely with UAESA, which is responsible for coordination at national level, MBRSC is tasked with executing the UAE’s space programme — the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM or HOPE), astronaut corps, Mars Science City and Earth-observation programme.

Le Gall signalled that the CADMOS centre for the development of microgravity applications and space operations is ready to select and prepare experiments that future Emirati astronauts will be performing during their stays on the International Space Station (ISS).

The UAE Space Agency was created in 2014. It signed a strategic partnership agreement with CNES in April 2015.