The UAE has announced the Emirates Lunar Mission, which will land a space rover on the surface of the moon by 2024.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai announced the project on Twitter, and it was further confirmed by Emirates News Agency WAM.
The Rover is called ‘Rashid’, after the former Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
We are launching the first-ever Arab mission to the moon by 2024. The lunar rover will send back images & data from new sites of the moon that haven’t been explored by previous lunar missions. The gathered data will be shared with global research centers & institutions. pic.twitter.com/b4NQ3reLIq
— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) September 29, 2020
According to Sheikh Mohammed, the UAE has, “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.”
The UAE will become just the 4th country to carry out moon exploration. And the first in the Arab world.
“The lunar explorer will send data and images for the first time from new lunar regions that will be shared with local & international research centers,” said Sheikh Mohamed.
The news comes hot on the heels of a newly announced manned space mission by NASA. As well as news that a total of four Emirati astronauts are being sent to NASA’s Johnson Space Center for further space training.
This won’t be the first big space mission undertaken by the UAE. The UAE National Space Program last year sent up the Hope Probe which will explore the surface of Mars.
You can watch the historic launch of the Hope Probe right here.
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