As Majority of UAE Cohort, Khalifa University Students Help Classify Asteroid (623) Chimaera for Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt
A total of five Khalifa University students took part in the Space Exploration Research Experience (SERE) program – a flagship initiative of the UAE Space Agency developed in collaboration with the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), University of Colorado – Boulder in the US.
The SERE program forms part of the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA), the first Arab interplanetary mission beyond Mars, and provides undergraduate Emirati students with direct exposure to planetary science research, spacecraft operations, and mission management.
The Khalifa University students accepted into the program represent more than 70% of UAE’s SERE cohort this year. Four were from Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPSS) track including Undergraduate student Mariam Saif Aldhaheri, Maitha Alteneiji, Saif Alhosani, Alya Almaazmi, as well as Yousuf Mohammed, Aerospace Engineering, who contributed to the mission’s scientific investigations. Three of the students joined the LASP team, US, while others were placed in Italy at the Instituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) and at TII – Abu Dhabi.
As part of their work, the Khalifa University students helped spectrally classify asteroid (623) Chimaera, one of seven asteroids the EMA spacecraft will study in the Asteroid Belt. Asteroid Chimaera is the largest remnant of its collisional family, offering insights into the long-term evolution of the Asteroid Belt.
According to Dr. Mohamed Ramy Elmaarry, Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies, Earth Science, and Associate Professor, Earth Sciences, Khalifa University, and member of the EMA mission team, the asteroid’s spectral signatures suggest the possible presence of water, a key target for EMA. At about 45km in diameter, it is also among the largest objects on the EMA itinerary, providing a “rehearsal” for the mission’s final target – asteroid Justitia – where the spacecraft is planned to enter orbit and deploy a dedicated lander.
Dr. Elmaarry, said: “The UAE’s space sector requires equal investment in both technology and science. Through programs like EPSS, Khalifa University students are able to complement engineering advancements with world-class scientific research, ensuring that Emiratis play a leading role in every aspect of space exploration.
“Khalifa University’s EPSS program – the only track of its kind in the region – equips students with the knowledge and skills to directly contribute to UAE-led space missions. Courses such as Planetary Science, Remote Sensing of Planetary Bodies, and Small Bodies in the Solar System are specifically designed to prepare students for participation in projects like EMA. And with Khalifa University as a strategic partner of the UAE Space Agency, more students will be prepared to take part in upcoming research, training, and mission activities, reinforcing the University’s role in building the country’s human capital for the space sector.”
The program also enhanced the student team’s knowledge of space missions – from subsystem lectures to cleanroom and Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) training, and even field trips and facility tours. Most importantly, the students were included in national team meetings, giving them a first-hand look at how missions are managed in real-world settings.
Alisha Roy
Science Writer
