Dr. Hala Khaled Al-Jassar, Acting Head of the Department of Physics at the College of Science, Kuwait University, participated as a representative of the Kuwait National Space Research Center (Kuwait-NSRC) in the 62nd session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

This marks the first participation of the Kuwait National Space Research Center in the Committee’s work since its establishment in September 2024, following the directive of His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. During her participation, Dr. Al-Jassar emphasized Kuwait’s commitment to strengthening its role in the space sector and benefiting from its services.

In her address, Dr. Al-Jassar highlighted Kuwait’s longstanding history in the field of space, which began with its active participation in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Conference in 1963, followed by the establishment of the first satellite communication station in Um Al-Aish in 1969, and culminating in the launch of KuwaitSat-1 in 2023.
She reaffirmed Kuwait’s adherence to international space treaties, noting Kuwait’s signing of the Outer Space Treaty and related agreements in the 1970s, and its subsequent accession to the United Nations Moon Agreement and the Registration Convention in 2014. Dr. Al-Jassar also referenced Kuwait’s membership in COPUOS’s Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, which it obtained in 2021—an important step that has strengthened Kuwait’s role in global space governance.

Dr. Al-Jassar reviewed Kuwait’s ongoing efforts to develop capabilities in satellite-based remote sensing for environmental and climate monitoring, a field that has been actively researched in Kuwait’s academic and scientific institutions since the late 1980s. She noted that the results of these studies have been published in numerous peer-reviewed scientific journals.

She also shed light on Kuwait University’s experience in implementing the national project for the first Kuwaiti satellite, KuwaitSat-1, which was launched into orbit in January 2023. The project aimed to train young professionals in designing, assembling, and testing nanosatellites, with full support from the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS). Dr. Al-Jassar praised Kuwait University’s leading role in research, education, and capacity building, and reaffirmed Kuwait’s commitment to international cooperation in the field of space, expressing hopes to enhance scientific and technical partnerships in order to drive innovation and progress in this vital sector.

The 62nd session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of COPUOS is being held at the United Nations Office in Vienna and continues until February 14. The session addresses key issues such as the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, remote sensing, space weather, space debris, and the role of space technologies in improving global health. These meetings are held annually to promote international collaboration and ensure the peaceful and sustainable use of outer space.