Doha: Four engineers from Es’hailSat, the Qatar Satellite Company, have recently completed a two-year intensive satellite training programme with Space Systems/Loral (SSL), the company manufacturing Es’hail 1. The country’s first satellite is scheduled for launch this summer and will share a spacecraft platform with the European satellite operator Eutelsat.
The training was set up to develop knowledgeable and sophisticated engineering staff to specify, oversee the manufacture, launch and operate commercial communication satellites. Mohammed Al Delaimi, Thani Ali Al Malki, Ibrahim Abdulla Alhaj and Mohammed Al Sayed have been based at SSL’s Palo Alto site in California, going through skills development in various departments to enable them to follow the Es’hail 1 satellite through design, manufacture, test and launch.
At the graduation ceremony in Palo Alto, Es’hailSat engineer Al Malki said: “I think this experience is a once in a lifetime opportunity that will affect me professionally and personally. Even though my degree covered satellite communications, there is still a gap between learning from books and the real environment of satellite design and test. It is a privilege to be part of the Es’hail 1 satellite programme and develop my understanding of all aspects of the technical and commercial satellite industry”.
Al Delaimi said he was honoured to represent Es’hailSat at SSL. “I believe our company has a huge potential to become a leader in the satellite industry in the Gulf region. Es’hail 1 is an advanced communications satellite and has the necessary capacity to enable its customers to substantially increase their communications capability, particularly in broadcasting in HD and 3D”.
“Es’hailSat is providing the first satellite training programme in the country, and we are proud to be part of this investment in local talent to become a world-class satellite operator and center of excellence in the Middle East region”, added Alhaj and Al Sayed.
Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari, Chief Executive Officer, said: “I am delighted that these four engineers have completed our intensive satellite training programme and we are now looking forward to the launch of Es’hail 1 — an SSL 1300 satellite — a decades-proven, modular platform with high power capability and flexibility for a broad range of applications”.
David Bernstein, Senior Vice-President, Programme Management at SSL, noted: “On behalf of SSL I would like to congratulate the four Es’hailSat interns who have completed a rigorous and comprehensive internship programme. All four show great promise in becoming future leaders in the satellite industry. They will serve Qatar well in advancing the country’s role as a provider of important communications services. We wish them the best in their future endeavours.”
QNA
