On Tuesday, UAE
Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, announced the launch
of Emirates Lunar Mission. The country took great pride in it as it is not only
its first but even Arab world’s first lunar mission The mission is believed to help the Arab
country in building an innovative and enhanced space industry for the region.
Sheikh Mohammed
bin Rashid wrote on Twitter, ““We have launched the Emirates Lunar Mission, a 100% Emirati-made lunar
rover that will land on the surface of the moon by 2024 in areas not yet
reached by previous exploration missions. We named the rover “Rashid” in honour of the man who sparked Dubai’s advancement.”
Dubai ruler
added that ‘Rashid’ would help the country to ‘send data and images for the
first time from new lunar regions that will be shared with local &
international research centers’.
The mission was
part of the country’s new ten-year strategy (2021-2031) designed by the
Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, MBRSC, which included the development and
launch of the first Emirati lunar rover named "Rashid". The lunar
rover was named after the the creator of modern Dubai, late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al
Maktoum. MBRSC said that UAE would tie-up with an international
institution to assist the rover in landing on the Moon.
The mission,
developed by UAE with the help of Emirati engineers, experts, and researchers,
if turned successful,
would make UAE the first Arab
country and the fourth country in the world to land on the lunar surface after
the United States, Soviet Union, and China.
With regard to
the mission, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said, "By exploring the Moon, we
are drafting a new inspiring chapter in the UAE’s growing list
of achievements in space and beyond."
"We chose
to name the Lunar Rover 'Rashid', after the builder of the modern renaissance
of Dubai and one of the founders of the UAE. This project is the largest
national and humanitarian project in the region."
"We have a
large-scale space programme combined with an unwavering will, strategic
governance and an ambitious cadre of scientists, researchers and engineers. The
future awaiting us is full of achievements and innovations. What lies ahead is
even more promising," he added.
Yousuf Hamad
AlShaibani, Director-General, MBRSC, said, "The Emirates Lunar Mission is
a clear indication of the wise leadership's vision to invest in the country's
future and contribute to advance knowledge in the global space sector. The
culture of leadership and work has taught us that the secret of success is not
the abundance of resources, but our ability to manage these resources and direct
them in a way that serves our goals."
He added, "The data procured from the
Emirates Lunar Mission will create a knowledge base that will help in building
a research station on the Moon and answer questions related to the formation of
both the Solar System and the planets in them. This will in turn put humans on
the surface of the Moon one day."
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