Shaikha Hessa bint Ali Al Khalifa has been elected as the second vice-chair of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) at 68th COPUOS session held in Austria, the Bahrain Space Agency (BSA) announced yesterday.
Shaikha Hessa’s appointment makes her the first Arab Muslim woman to hold this position.
Shaikha Hessa highlighted Bahrain’s achievements in space, including the launch of the first locally designed satellite “Al Munther” for earth observation, completion of the second phase of the “CO₂Sat” project to monitor carbon emissions in partnership with British institutions, testing artificial intelligence technologies in orbit through strategic co-operation with Oman, active participation in the Arab Satellite 813 initiative for regional climate monitoring, and involvement in three lunar exploration missions, underscoring Bahrain’s presence in deep space exploration.
Shaikha Hessa said that her appointment represents international recognition of the role of Arab women in decision-making at high-level technical forums. She underscored the BSA’s commitment to supporting peace and innovation in space, promoting transparency and sustainability, and fulfilling its responsibility to future generations.
Bahrain’s statement also underscored the kingdom’s support for UN initiatives such as “Space for Women” and “Space for Water”, with a focus on building the capacity of developing countries to access space technologies, implementing guidelines for long-term space sustainability, and enhancing global dialogue on space traffic management and reducing orbital debris.
Shaikha Hessa’s appointment was unanimously endorsed by member states following her nomination by the BSA, reflecting her career in the space sector and coinciding with the transformation of the National Space Science Agency into the Bahrain Space Agency to expand its strategic mandate.
COPUOS is the leading UN committee for international co-operation in space exploration, making Bahrain’s leadership role a significant diplomatic and scientific achievement for the kingdom.
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