PHI-1 set for launch today to widen 'access to space for all'

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has announced that PHI-I, the first modular satellite platform developed under the Payload Hosting Initiative (PHI) programme in partnership with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) initiative "Access to Space for All," is ready for launch.

- Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The mission, with payloads from Bahrain Space Agency, Antarikchya Pratisthan Nepal, MBRSC and Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences & Technology (SAAST), is scheduled to liftoff on Wednesday, 19 November 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA.

PHI-I represents a defining milestone in the UAE's efforts to democratise access to space and strengthen international cooperation in science and technology by providing countries the opportunity to test their innovations in space. Designed and assembled in Dubai, this modular satellite platform embodies the UAE's vision of using innovation to empower nations and institutions to take part in meaningful space exploration.

Amer AlSayegh AlGhaferi, Assistant Director General of the Aerospace Engineering Sector, MBRSC, said, "PHI-I is a mission that reflects the UAE's vision to create opportunities for all and to contribute to a sustainable and knowledge-driven future in space exploration."