By Staff Reporter
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has successfully completed the development of the Emirates Lunar Mission’s Rashid Rover 2, marking a key milestone in the UAE’s growing space exploration program.
Following a comprehensive series of environmental and functional tests conducted in the UAE, the rover has now been shipped to the United States for final integration with Firefly Aerospace, ahead of its landmark journey to the far side of the Moon in 2026 — an area rarely visited by previous missions.
Earlier this year, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of MBRSC, witnessed the signing of a strategic agreement between MBRSC and Firefly Aerospace. Under this collaboration, Firefly will supply the lunar lander that will deliver Rashid Rover 2 to its designated lunar site.
The rover underwent rigorous qualification stages — including Thermal Vacuum tests at the French space agency CNES in Toulouse, and additional solar panel, antenna, robotic arm, and vibration tests at UAE facilities — all designed to simulate the extreme conditions of launch, landing, and lunar operation.
H.E. Hamad Obaid AlMansoori, Chairman of MBRSC, hailed the milestone as proof of the UAE’s technological progress and growing stature in the global space community. Director General Salem Humaid AlMarri emphasized that the mission marks a bold leap toward deep-space research and scientific advancement.
Funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, the Emirates Lunar Mission underscores the UAE’s vision to lead in space innovation and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
Source: Dubai Media Office
