"A great opportunity to encourage the world’s best talents to come here": UAE tech entrepreneurs on the space mission

How can cloud technology aid the UAE’s space efforts?

“Cloud computing is an important pillar in the development of the UAE space sector, it provides computing as a utility service. With the ability to store petabytes of data, on-demand computing resources and a rich ecosystem of AI services, it enables the systematic evaluation of big data, understanding the collected information and how it relates to each other as well as the near real-time analysis of the collected data.”

You’re going to the International Space Station. What are five things you’d take with you?

1. Vive Pro VR system (with a powerful PC)

2. Cheeto (my dog)

3. Digestive chocolate biscuits — super delicious!

4. My lucky Super Mario T-Shirt

5. A polaroid camera for some cool vintage pics

What is the one thing that excites you most about the UAE’s ambitious space programme?

“The hope that His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, brings to his people that anything is possible, that UAE nationals can achieve anything they want to, and that they have their government support. This positive mindset also motivates expats like us, especially those born here and treat it like their adopted country. That’s what nations and their people need – to rise above pettiness and a collective vision.”

What are your thoughts on the UAE’s plans to reach Mars?

“As the UAE continues to push the boundaries and solve some of the world’s hardest problems, we see it as a great opportunity to encourage the world’s best talents to come here. With innovation comes new businesses and new opportunities and similar to what we saw with NASA and space travel, and the innovations for travel, we expect the same thing to be the case with missions to Mars.”