Abu Dhabi test-launches first fully UAE-built hybrid rocket in milestone for space ambitions

Abu Dhabi’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII) has test-launched the UAE’s first fully domestically designed and operated hybrid sounding rocket, a 13kg vehicle that lifted off at 12.21pm from a remote island off Abu Dhabi and reached an altitude of 3 kilometres before deploying a parachute and returning safely to the ground. The two-and-a-half-year in‑house development effort validated the rocket’s structural integrity, avionics, propulsion and recovery systems and marked the first flight of a hybrid motor designed, built and tested entirely in the UAE.

“This launch is a defining moment for science and engineering in the UAE,” said Najwa Aaraj, chief executive of TII. “It demonstrates that we can lead in the development of breakthrough technologies, not only in labs, but in real‑world, high‑stakes environments. This is the first step in building a national launch capability powered by UAE talent and ambition.”

The sounding rocket, built by TII — the research arm of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council — weighs 13kg and was manufactured using advanced composite techniques, including high‑performance carbon‑fibre materials. TII said all propulsion elements, tanks, control systems and avionics were designed, built and tested domestically. The hybrid motor uses nitrous oxide and polyethylene, a combination described by researchers as a safer, cost‑effective option suited to suborbital research and early‑stage launch vehicles.

• Lift‑off time: 12.21pm from a remote island off Abu Dhabi
• Vehicle mass: 13kg
• Maximum altitude: 3km
• Peak speed: approximately 300 metres per second (roughly 1,100kph)
• Recovery: parachute deployment and retrieval of components for analysis and reuse

Elias Tsoutsanis, chief researcher at TII’s Propulsion and Space Research Centre, said the project overcame a historic reliance on foreign suppliers for rocket motors. “Historically for propulsion, the rocket motor was the one critical element that had to be sourced from abroad,” he said. “Now we have the know‑how of designing, building, testing and launching a system that has this technology. This took a couple of years of intense research, testing and many simulations.”

Tsoutsanis described the development path as comprehensive: recruiting top talent, conducting system‑by‑system simulations and on‑ground tests, developing avionics and composite materials in‑house, iterating designs and integrating systems on the launch pad. A team of 15 engineers and researchers managed the operation and withheld celebrations until data validation and component recovery were complete.

“The rocket performed exactly as it was designed to, it reached 3km in altitude, travelled at 300 metres per second. This is approximately 1,100kph, just to give a rough estimate,” Mr Tsoutsanis said. He emphasised the importance of recovery: “We needed to demonstrate that we cannot only launch but recover, we can reuse the telemetry system, the peripheral accessories.”

Beyond the immediate technical success, TII framed the flight as an early but critical step toward an indigenous launch ecosystem. “This is important because it demonstrates that the UAE can develop its own systems and that gives strong independence to design, develop and plan missions independently,” Tsoutsanis said. He added that the institute plans to scale up to higher‑altitude operations, supported by launch infrastructure and engineering talent, with the aim of positioning the UAE as a sovereign space actor capable of developing and deploying increasingly advanced rocket programmes and research missions.