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Through the UAE Moon Mission, the country aims to lead innovative and sustainable exploration of the Moon
The Rashid rover, the first Arab mission to land on the moon, will be the new lunar visitor and will land on the surface of Earth’s nearest neighbor in the fourth quarter of 2022.
The final phase of rover testing is now complete, with a target window of Nov. 9-15 for lunar lander launches.
Through the UAE Moon Mission, the UAE aims to lead innovative and sustainable exploration of the Moon. The UAE’s AI-equipped rover is named after the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the former ruler of Dubai.
What will the Mission 1 lander carry? Who will operate it?
The UAE’s moon mission is expected to launch in November this year. Japan-based ispace, which will land the Rashid rover on the moon, said earlier that its Mission 1 (M1) will launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket .
The M1 lander will carry multiple commercial and government payloads, including two rovers, to the lunar surface. After launch, the M1 will operate at the Hakuto-R Mission Control Center (MCC) in Nihonbashi, Tokyo’s central business district.
The MCC will monitor the lander’s attitude, temperature and other conditions; send commands and data to the lander; and receive imagery and video data during travel to and from the lunar surface.
Where will the rover land?
The rover’s primary landing site on the moon is Lacus Somniorum, also known as the Lake of Dreams, an unexplored area.
Located on the northeastern side of the moon, Lacus Somniorum is characterized by a unique composition formed by basalt lava flows that give it its reddish color.
After launch in March 2023, the landing is said to take about five months.
What kind of test does the rover face?
While temperatures on the moon vary widely between day and night, one of the biggest challenges for the rover is to withstand the harsh environment on the moon, where temperatures can reach minus 200 degrees Celsius.
The Rashid rover is expected to operate for only one lunar day — the equivalent of 29 days on Earth — to avoid the cold of lunar nights.
UAE authorities have already tested the 10kg rover in the desert.
A video released by the Dubai Government Media Office in early March showed it successfully navigating the desert at various times of day and night.
What are the capabilities of the rover?
The four-wheeled, 21-by-21-inch solar-powered rover carries a pair of high-resolution cameras, a thermal imager and a microscopic imager.
It also carries an instrument for studying the charged environment on the lunar surface.
The rover will generate thousands of images and useful scientific data throughout the lunar day.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has partnered with the French government space agency CNES to provide the Rashid rover with two optical cameras for space exploration (CASPEX).
The CASPEX camera on top of the rover’s mast will provide a panoramic view of the rover’s surroundings.
What is the use of this information?
Driving track images from rear French cameras will be analyzed to determine wheel subsidence and study detailed wheel-soil interactions.
This data is important for designing mobility systems for future rovers.
The project is also a key part of the UAE’s space exploration strategy, which is at the heart of building new intellectual capabilities, inspiring future generations to engage in space science and research, and fostering global collaboration.
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