Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (DUBAI)
The UAE isn’t just looking at the stars; it’s reaching for them. From rovers ready to roam the Moon to satellites snapping the sharpest images, the country is staking its claim as a rising force in space exploration.
At Dubai Airshow 2025, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) is showcasing a suite of projects that demonstrate the nation’s growing role on the global space stage.
Exploring the Far Side of the Moon
The Rashid Rover 2 is set for launch to the Moon’s far side in 2026.
In an interview with Aletihad, Ahmed Sharaf, system engineer and avionics lead for the project, said this 12-kg rover carries a significant scientific payload.
This includes two navigational cameras, a microscopic camera, a thermal camera, and an antenna that communicates with the lander, which then relays data via a lunar satellite.
Unlike its predecessor, which was designed for the Moon’s near side, Rashid Rover 2 faces the unique challenge of remote operations on the far side. This has required MBRSC engineers to redesign control systems and operational protocols.
The upcoming mission will test mobility over challenging terrain, examine the lunar plasma environment, and analyse the interaction of lunar dust with materials, offering insights critical to future exploration.
“The number one objective is technology demonstration,” Sharaf said. “But we also have multiple scientific objectives: thermal imaging, microscopic analysis of the surface, and studying regolith interaction with rover wheels. All data will be shared publicly.”
Gateway Lunar Space Station
Beyond its national missions, the UAE is working with global space leaders on the next major milestone in exploration: the Gateway, the first space station to orbit the Moon. Expected to be one of the most significant global achievements of the 21st century, the lunar outpost is slated for launch by 2031.
The UAE is developing the Emirates Airlock, a crucial module that will allow astronauts to perform spacewalks, transfer scientific payloads, and serve as a docking port for other spacecraft.
“The airlock includes a science table for external experiments and EVA suits for astronauts,” Hind Amin, assembly and integration engineer at MBRSC, told Aletihad.
The Gateway station — comprising modules such as I-HAB, HALO, PPE, ERM, Canadarm3, and the Emirates Airlock — will orbit the Moon, supporting long-duration missions, improving communication with the lunar surface, and providing research on solar and cosmic radiation.
The UAE is collaborating with NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The country’s involvement in the project ensures priority access to cutting-edge scientific data and positions the nation among the first to send astronauts to the Moon.
While the UAE is making space exploration appear almost routine, each milestone marks a historic first for the Arab world.
At the airshow, the MBRSC is showcasing the MBZ-SAT, the UAE’s latest and most advanced electro-optical satellite.
“MBZ-SAT represents the highest-performing satellite in the region,” Khalifa Mohamed, an engineer at MBRSC, told Aletihad.
Launched in January 2025, the MBZ-SAT delivers double the imaging capacity of its predecessors and enables rapid data processing with a tenfold increase in image production.
Remarkably, 90% of its mechanical structure and over half of its electronic modules were manufactured domestically.
