The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) confirmed the launch of the United Arab Emirates Rashid Rover, the first lunar mission for the Arab world, on its official Twitter account on Sunday.
The launch finally occurred after being delayed for “pre-flight checkouts.”
UAE’s Rashid Rover takes off for Moon on a five-month mission.#EmiratesLunarMission#UAEtotheMoon#WamNews pic.twitter.com/Xv7NM3JInK
— WAM English (@WAMNEWS_ENG) December 11, 2022
The UAE’s Rashid rover was successfully launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, was joined at the launching event by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the crown prince of Dubai, and Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the deputy ruler of Dubai, deputy prime minister, and minister of finance.
The Rashid rover, created by Emirati engineers at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) in the UAE, will travel to parts of the Moon that have never been visited by humans.
The mission is traveling to the moon on a low-energy trajectory and is scheduled to touch down in April 2023.
Once there, the rover will carry out its primary tasks for one lunar day (equal to 14.75 days on Earth).
Before decommissioning, it will spend a second lunar day doing secondary operations to see if the rover can withstand the hostile nighttime environment on the moon.
It is the first Moon mission for the UAE, and other rovers will be created in the future.
To read our blog on “NASA’s Mars rover finds an unknown and mysterious item,” click here.
