Dubai, United Arab Emirates : The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre announced the successful implementation of a scientific experiment developed by students from the United Arab Emirates University, representing the UAE, aboard the International Space Station, as part of the Asian Try Zero-G 2025 competition led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), in cooperation with a number of space agencies, including the Centre .

The 2025 edition of the competition saw the participation of 11 teams representing nine countries, reflecting a high level of regional engagement with space science and student innovation. The UAE's participation, overseen by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, was part of its ongoing efforts to promote science and broaden opportunities for students to participate in applied research .

The closing event included presentations from the participating teams, followed by a live broadcast of the experiments being conducted aboard the International Space Station. The UAE University team, consisting of six students and a faculty member, represented the country remotely, monitoring the execution of their experiment live on the station .

The experiment

The experiment, titled “Study of Harmonic Motion and the Effect of Motion Decline in Microgravity,” was conducted by NASA astronaut Christopher Williams inside the Japanese “Kibo” Experiment Unit, in an achievement that embodies the progress of Emirati student research in a microgravity environment .

The experiment was developed by a team of engineering students, focusing on analyzing the harmonic motion of a spring-and-mass system and how it gradually slows down in a microgravity environment. The results of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of the behavior of mechanical systems in space, supporting the development of applications related to satellite operations and experiments conducted aboard the International Space Station .

Prior to the final stage, the students conducted a series of ground experiments using different masses, repeating the tests to ensure the accuracy and consistency of the results. This hands-on approach formed a solid foundation for adapting the experiment to the microgravity conditions aboard the International Space Station .

Participant selection

The implementation of this experiment is the culmination of the selection of the United Arab Emirates University team, which qualified through a nationwide competitive process that included 17 proposals submitted by 74 students from eight universities across the country. The initiative was not limited to the final experiment alone, but also contributed to engaging a wider range of students, whose ideas enriched the scientific discourse within the program .

About the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre :

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre is an advanced scientific and technological center that seeks to make the UAE a global leader in space services and exploration .

The center was launched in 2006 with a small team of dedicated engineers, and has since evolved into an incubator for the UAE National Space Program, supporting scientific research and building a sustainable space sector in the country. The center encompasses the satellite development program, the UAE Astronaut Program, and the Emirates Lunar Mission, among other projects .

As part of the satellite program, the center has built, developed and operated several Earth observation satellites, including: DubaiSat-1, DubaiSat-2, KhalifaSat, the first satellite to be fully developed by Emirati engineers, in addition to Mohammed Bin ZayedSat, the most advanced satellite in the region, and Etihad-SAR, the center’s first radar satellite .

As for the UAE Astronaut Programme, the center currently has four astronauts, two of whom have carried out missions to the International Space Station, including the longest space mission in the history of the Arabs, undertaken by His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Neyadi .

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