- March 17, 2022
EPISODE #
#31 Omran Sharaf on reaching Mars and beyond
About this episode
Omran Sharaf is the Project Director of the Emirates Mars Mission that has launched the “Hope Probe” in July 20th 2020 and successfully entered Mars’ orbit on February 9th 2021. This project has cemented the UAE’s ambition to become a key contributor to the global knowledge pool on space, what Omran calls, “the UAE’s first science diplomacy effort”.
Very few people get to experience the magic of space, let alone work on project of such local, regional and global significance. To Omran, this was a life changing experience. In our conversation we recall the events of the night of November 20th 2013, as he juggled between the launch of DubaiSat 2 (an earth observation satellite) and a call from the UAE government that would ultimately change his life and thrust him into the spotlight as the face of the UAE’s Hope Probe.
We discuss the mission’s requirements and main milestones, the importance of studying Mars’ atmosphere, managing a critical project with a 50% failure rate and the importance of great leadership under HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces and the ruler of Abu Dhabi and HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, its Minister of Defence, as well as the Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai who were both present to provide moral support to Omran and his team before the probe successfully entered Mars’ orbit.
We close with some personal advice from Omran as well as what this mission means for the future of the science and technology sector in the UAE. If you’re curious about Space and want to learn about the people behind this great effort and what makes them unique, this episode is for you!
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
00:00 | Thank you to our fans and guest intro
2:04 | Juggling between a satellite launch and planning a mission to Mars!
5:59 | HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s goals and parameters for the Hope Probe
10:58 | A collaborative effort on a massive scale
12:10 | But why Mars?
16:43 | Reaching Mars, the relief and the pride. But failure was an option
21:10 | Will we be a multi-planetary species?
25:41 | How do national priorities drive space missions and aspirations
28:00 | Launching a space craft with time and budget restrictions encourage creative thinking among the team
33:19 | How can you manage massive projects and ensure the outcome is delivered
41:26 | What do you need to do to put yourself ahead in order to be given life changing opportunities
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guest profile
Omran Sharaf
Omran is Project Director of the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). He and his team are responsible for developing, launching, and operating the Hope Probe, the spacecraft of the mission. Omran has worked on the project from its initial conception and developed all the necessary capabilities and partnerships at MBRSC, effectively transitioning the organisation from one that focused on earth observation satellites to one that develops interplanetary exploration missions.
An experienced electronics and systems engineer, who trained in the US and Korea, Omran was responsible for developing and implementing the Command & Data Handling Subsystem (C&DH) for the DubaiSat-1 high resolution LEO imaging satellite. He also headed the development of the C&DH subsystem and payload electronics subsystem for DubaiSat-2, along with being a systems engineer of that project.
Prior to EMM, Omran was Director of the Programs Management Department at MBRSC, which was responsible for defining new strategic programs, the project management office and the product and mission assurance functionalities of the Centre.
Omran earned his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Virginia, USA, in 2005, and his Master’s in Science and Technology Policy from the Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea, in 2013.