The UAE has successfully launched its pioneering Arab-designed moon rover

On December 11, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, carrying into space the first Arab-crafted lunar spacecraft.

The Rashid Rover, developed by Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in the UAE, is being delivered by the HAKUTO-R lander, built by the Japanese lunar exploration company ispace. If the mission succeeds, HAKUTO-R will also mark the first-ever commercial spacecraft to achieve a controlled landing on the moon.

The mission is taking a low-energy trajectory toward the moon, expected to reach its destination around April 2023. Upon arrival, the rover will operate on the lunar surface for one full lunar day (about 14.75 Earth days), performing its primary tasks. Afterward, it will spend a second lunar day testing its ability to survive the harsh lunar night before being decommissioned.

Set to land in the Atlas crater in the moon's northeastern region, the rover is engineered to endure the extreme lunar night, where temperatures can plunge to as low as -183°C (-297.4°F).

Named after the late Sheikh Rashid Al Saeed, former ruler of Dubai, the Rashid Rover will study the lunar plasma and conduct experiments to better understand lunar dust. These razor-sharp dust particles pose a threat to astronauts, as they can cling to and damage spacesuits and equipment, creating operational challenges.

The rover will run entirely on solar power and is outfitted with four cameras, including a microscopic and thermal imaging camera.

This launch follows closely after NASA’s Artemis I lunar mission and represents the inaugural step in the UAE’s bold moon exploration program. The country plans to deploy various vehicles, including rovers and orbiters, to the moon, with a second rover set to launch as early as 2025.

Construction of the 10kg, four-wheeled Rashid Rover began in 2017 at the MBRSC, and it was designed by a fully Emirati team. “The team did an outstanding job in initiating and designing the mission,” said Hamad Al Marzooqi, project manager of the Emirates Lunar Mission at MBRSC, in an interview with Dinogo.

The MBRSC is also leveraging this mission to advance its ambitious goal of establishing a human colony on Mars. The center aims to build the first settlement on the Red Planet by 2117. Al Marzooqi believes the lunar mission will serve as a crucial stepping stone toward Mars.

“We’re starting with small steps,” he says, “but we hope that these initial efforts will eventually pave the way to achieving our long-term goals.”