Aida Al Yaaqoubi is a senior engineer for spacecraft analysis at Yahsat. Photo: Yahsat

This article is part of a series in which Via Satellite interviews people in the industry at different points of their careers, with a focus on career decisions-making, and what they are looking for in terms of developing a career in the satellite and space industry.

 Yahsat has risen over the last two decades to become one of the biggest global operators. Aida Al Yaaqoubi, senior engineer for spacecraft analysis, joined Yahsat in 2016 after graduating from university. Al Yaaqoubi, 30, was introduced to Yahsat through a tour organized by Emirati sovereign wealth fund Mubadala. She says she has found it to be an exciting career and a niche industry in the Middle East.

“I am delighted to have had the opportunity to grow my career with Yahsat,” she says. “Through the company I have been able to gain vast experiences about the industry and also participate in many path-breaking innovations that we are currently working across.”

Like a lot of young engineers, Al Yaaqoubi speaks of the importance of the mission that led her to join Yahsat. “I have been able to intern at several companies before I joined Yahsat. Yahsat has a distinct focus on learning and development opportunities, and also on engaging with the next generation of Emirati space enthusiasts to ensure the long-term development of the industry. I firmly believe the company’s culture and mission does matter especially for individuals with specific career goals and ambitions,” she says.

Al Yaaqoubi says the one thing that the companies in the space industry could do to better attract people is investing in educating their local communities and not restricting the education to students. She thinks tech workshops at universities would be a great way to introduce the space sector and its achievements to young people. She highlights the fact that they are also useful in identifying promising talent.

“At Yahsat, we regularly organize such roadshows through our Youth Council. People tend to lean towards familiarity and steer away from what they do not know or understand, so educating them consistently about the impact of space on our daily lives has the potential to influence their interest is important. By bringing together AI, IoT, satellite communications and emergent technologies such as robotics, space is providing solutions for a more connected world, and finally becoming accessible to the public,” she adds.

Yahsat has a global footprint and the company wants to use satellite communications technology to connect communities in unserved and underserved regions of the world, where terrestrial networks are unavailable. It supports initiatives like telemedicine, remote learning, agriculture, and Earth observation and provides connectivity to support relief efforts.

“Space is visibly impacting the lives of people globally today. Satellites enable us to receive television signals to our homes, provide constant connection with our banks and access to real-time weather data, as examples. Space technology and satellites also have the ability to drive real impact,” Al Yaaqoubi says.

Al Yaaqoubi believes young women have the opportunity to thrive and excel within the field, however, companies should do more to encourage and support women in this area. However, she praises the work Yahsat has done to encourage women. “Yahsat is exemplary in empowering women in this field, as women represent 17.7% of the workforce. Moreover, young women can also understand the impact that their contributions make. I do feel that there is a role to be played by role models and mentors in attracting women in specific fields within the industry such as engineering,” she says. “Yahsat presented this opportunity as I had the chance to work with a number of notable women and men within the industry who helped support my career ambitions.”

She believes the biggest opportunities for career development in space and satellite services industry are in software development and operations. She talks of how software development can support the trajectory towards automation in different areas.

Al Yaaqoubi is proud of the fact that she works for an organization that is at the forefront of many technological innovations within the satellite solutions sector, working to bridge the digital divide and connect underserved and unserved communities. Al Yaaqoubi is looking forward to working with her team as Yahsat explores the next generational telecommunications system Thuraya 4-NGS and industry developments such as direct-to-device and IoT. Her dream job in the industry is specifically head of R&D for space technology.  “This really helps motivate me as I map out the next phase of my career,” she adds.

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