Emirati ambition reaches the moon in Arab world’s first space mission

The United Arab Emirates has successfully launched its latest space mission, the Rashid Rover, to explore the moon on a journey that is scheduled to take 5 months, which is the fourth mission in the world and the first in the Arab world.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre announced that the launch date for the Emirates Airline lunar project was postponed from November 28 to allow SpaceX to conduct some additional checks before launching the vehicle. It is scheduled to land on the moon in April 2023.

Engineer Salem Muhammad Al Mulla told A24 that this step proves the UAE’s ability to access space and compete with the countries participating in this project. The rover carries the Japanese Hakuto-R lander on the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch rocket.

The landing site will be in the Atlas crater, located at 47.5°N, 44.4°E, on the southeastern outer edge of the Mare Frigoris region, or what is known as the Moon’s northernmost “Sea of Cold”.

This area was chosen to maintain flexibility while completing mission operations. “Reaching the Moon is a milestone in our ambitious march to progress for our nation and its people, who know no limits. And our next step is bigger and higher,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai said.