The fourth annual Young Professionals in Space Conference (YPS) will take place in the UAE next October, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has announced.
The announcement was made during this year’s YPS conference, currently being held in Barcelona, and comes in recognition of the UAE efforts to encourage youth in the field of space science and technology.
YPS is an initiative launched by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) to bring scientists, practitioners, engineers and leaders of the space industry and agencies together in a single venue to discuss recent research breakthroughs, technical advances, existing opportunities and emerging space technologies.
Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, Director-General of the MBRSC, said, “Hosting the fourth YPS Conference 2019 supports our belief in the youth’s capabilities to promote the space sector and make major achievements in this vital area. This is supported by the fact that the average age of Emirati employees at the space centre is no more than 28 years. Our success in hosting the YPS conference also reflects the confidence of the organising committee with the UAE’s space exploration’s ambitions, represented by the MBRSC’s programmes and initiatives.
“The YPS conference is a valuable opportunity for Arab youth who are interested in the space sector to connect with and learn from space experts and scientists from all over the world through workshops that enable them to understand the requirements of the space sector. It also allows them to learn about the latest technologies and opportunities in this sector, and how advanced space technologies can contribute to finding solutions for the future of humanity.”
A delegation from the MBRSC is participating in the current session of the YPS conference, which is being hosted in Barcelona, Spain. The five-day conference is witnessing more than 30 meetings led by prominent speakers from NASA, the European Space Agency, Boeing, Airbus, Virgin Orbit, the University of Colorado and leading global space agencies.
The participants are discussing various fields, mainly, the current programmes and the future challenges in the space sector, the importance of developing early techniques to reduce the risks of space missions, generating photovoltaic energy in space and the space environment, and heat control.
