One giant leap for the UAE? Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII) launched the UAE’s first sounding rocket powered by a locally-designed, built, and operated hybrid propulsion system, according to a statement. The successful test — marking a major step toward sovereign launch capability — saw the rocket reach a 3 km altitude before a recovery descent.

Why it matters: Rocket propulsion has historically been sourced abroad, while the TII’s hybrid engine was developed entirely in the UAE, including injectors, tanks, avionics, and control systems. Sounding rockets are primarily used for research to collect atmospheric data and are sometimes employed to test components before their integration into larger systems, like satellites.

The launch fits into a wider space localization drive: As we’ve covered, the UAE has invested AED 44 bn in the space sector as of October 2025. It also approved a National Space Industries Program aimed at doubling the number of space companies and exports within five years, targeting a top-10 global space hub ranking by 2031. Recent milestones include the creation of Eshara to localize ground-segment infrastructure and the launch of the country’s first sovereign earth-observation hub, aimed at bringing space assets and the systems behind them in-house.

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