French space agency CNES has signed an agreement with United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) to jointly develop a hyperspectral imaging satellite to support efforts to address climate change.

The deal is the first result of an agreement during a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to the UAE last November.

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It also demonstrates the UAE’s commitment to support the proposal to create a Space Climate Observatory (SCO) in line with the Paris Declaration adopted at the One Planet Summit in Paris, France on 12 December 2017.

“This new agreement between CNES and UAESA reaffirms our two nations’ desire to move forward together in space.”

The newly signed deal is also expected to strengthen cooperation on Earth observation between France and the UAE to increase the role of space missions while addressing climate change.

It also seeks to promote closer exchanges between CNES and UAESA to consolidate the results of their individual climate change research.

CNES president Jean-Yves Le Gall said: “This new agreement between CNES and UAESA reaffirms our two nations’ desire to move forward together in space.

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“France is a key space player and the UAE is among the new space powers now developing new programmes and missions. Today’s signature marks the start of this joint hyperspectral Earth-imaging mission.

“Our teams will be meeting in a month’s time in Toulouse to work on defining and planning the programme, and we will be conducting a first progress review at the start of May in Abu Dhabi during the Global Space Congress.”

Earlier this month, CNES said that it would present a mock-up of the Methane Remote sensing LIdarmissioN (MERLIN) at the upcoming ILA air show to be held in Berlin, Germany, this April.

MERLIN is a joint project between CNES and German space agency DLR and is expected to be launched in 2021.

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