Today's Edition
AMNA AL KETBI (DUBAI)
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) team has begun working on the Rashid Rover 2 project, following a visit from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to the Centre, said Engineer Salem Al Marri, MBRSC Director General.
In conversation with Aletihad, Al Marri explained that the team started the manufacturing process by first comparing technologies used in the Rashid Rover 1, and developing them to suit the new project.
“The team has reached advanced stages, and the details will be announced soon,” he said.
Engineer Adnan Al Rayes, Assistant Director General for Space Exploration Operations and Director of the “Mars 2117” Programme at MBRSC, said that many parties from international space agencies want to participate in building the Rashid Rover 2, adding that the Centre is currently studying the requests in order to reach agreements.
“The Centre will announce the company for landing Rashid Rover 2 on the surface of the moon in the middle of this year, and then the location of the Rover’s landing on the surface of the moon and the timing of the landing will be determined,” Al Rayes said.
Currently, the team has begun the Rashid Rover 2 project, and is working on developing the rover’s plans and technical characteristics, as well as determining the partnerships that will be with various parties, both in the country or abroad, to determine the mission’s scientific goals and systems.
“Among the entities that the Centre is studying to choose one of to transport the Rover to the surface of the moon is the ‘I-Space’ company, which was responsible for transporting Rashid Rover 1, which has come a long way during the first mission and is considered a success,” he added, explaining that choosing a partner for this mission depends on several factors like the landing site and thermal systems.
The Emirates Lunar Mission comes within the framework of the new strategy launched by the Centre 2021-2031, he added, and explained that the project includes developing and launching an Emirati lunar rover to allow the UAE to participate scientific lunar exploration missions.
“The UAE is considered the first Arab country to carry out a space mission to explore the surface of the moon through a rover that was designed and developed by a team of 50 Emirati engineers, experts, and researchers at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre,” Al Rayes noted.
The Rashid Rover 1, in terms of design and construction, was developed by an 100% Emirati team of engineers, experts, and researchers at the MBRSC. “The centre’s team also developed many technologies in the country, and many of the team’s experiences to build the first robot to land on an object,” he added.
According to Al Rayes, the Emirates Lunar Mission’s scientific objectives include developing robotics for exploration vehicle systems, studying new sites for the first time on the surface of the Moon, in addition to studying and analysing dust, and conducting tests on lunar soil, the thermal properties of surface structures, lunar photovoltaic data, plasma, optoelectronics, and dust particles above the illuminated portion of the lunar surface.
