The Lijian-1, also known as Kinetica-1 Y11, carrier rocket carrying 9 satellites, including one from the United Arab Emirates, blasts off from the Dongfeng commercial space innovation pilot zone near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Dec. 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

The successful launch of the Arab Satellite 813 on Wednesday marked a new milestone in China's space cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to the Shanghai Engineering Center for Microsatellites (SECM), a key Chinese partner in the project, on Thursday.

The satellite was sent into orbit aboard China's Lijian-1 carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. It was one of nine satellites involved in the mission, including three for international users.

The UAE's National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) signed an agreement with SECM in 2023 to develop this unique, highly efficient hyperspectral satellite. It carries advanced instruments designed to observe Earth, providing high-quality data to support environmental monitoring, resource exploration and scientific research.

This mission represents a major achievement in space cooperation between China and the UAE, and paves the way for deeper collaboration in the future, according to SECM.

The Arab Satellite 813 is the first major space cooperation project led by the UAE for the Arab states. The NSSTC has also developed a related mission operations system, and completed successful tests with a ground station located at United Arab Emirates University. The station will manage the satellite's data and distribute it across the Arab region.