Dubai satellite captures image of Mecca

As Muslims around the world celebrate Ramadan, one of Dubai's satellites has captured a stunning image of Mecca from high above the earth.

The one metre resolution image was released by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre on Wednesday, offering a unique perspective of the holy site to mark the arrival of the holy month.

DubaiSat-2 was launched in 2013 to capture high-resolution images and is the second UAE owned satellite to orbit the earth in an observational capacity.

It was built mainly by Emirati engineers based in Dubai and Korea. The project saw the team of Emirati engineers play a crucial role in the design and the manufacture of the satellite, while working alongside their Korean counterparts.

The images will be used for environmental projects, urban planning and infrastructure development, disaster management, mapping, scientific research and to provide specialised reports.

The centre's next project, DubaiSat-3, is set to launch in 2017.
Source: The National