At Tuesday’s Masdar City symposium, former NASA astronaut Sunita Williams endorsed the UAE’s commitment to human spaceflight, The National reported, as the country pursues a 2031 goal of joining the world’s 10 largest space economies.
The National reported that Williams spoke Oct. 27 at the UAE Space Biotech and LEO Commercialisation Symposium in Masdar City. “The UAE is already committed to having astronauts fly in space,” she said, according to the newspaper.
The National Space Strategy 2031 received cabinet approval on March 29, 2026. The plan aims to double space-economy revenues and place the country among the world’s 10 largest space economies by 2031. Its priorities include attracting investment, expanding international partnerships and market access, and developing competitive infrastructure.
A separate International Space Cooperation Programme allocates AED 1 billion for space research and development. Dubai Media Office said the programme is intended to build international research links involving UAE institutions, universities and companies. The announcement also identifies local technology development and talent as intended outcomes.
Commercial satellite projects are another part of the UAE’s space activity. Orbitworks said its Altair-1 satellite entered commissioning after deployment in its planned orbit following a launch on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 mission on Oct. 1, 2026. It is the first of 10 planned AI-enabled Earth-observation satellites.
Williams and NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore spent a total of 286 days in space. During their mission, NASA decided Boeing’s Starliner would return without its crew, citing helium leaks, reaction-control thruster issues and uncertainty about the spacecraft’s systems. The astronauts returned to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission on March 18, 2025. NASA’s accounting credits Williams’ three missions with a combined 608 days in space.
Vast, a U.S. space infrastructure company, named Williams an astronaut adviser on April 22, 2026. The company has scheduled its Haven-1 station for launch in 2027. NASA’s transition plan keeps the International Space Station (ISS) operating through 2030 and calls for a shift toward commercially run platforms in low Earth orbit.
