3 global ground stations to communicate with “Explorer Rashid”

Amna Al Ketbi (Dubai)

Dr. Hamad Al Marzouqi, Director of the Emirates Project for Lunar Exploration, revealed that a cooperation agreement will be announced soon with 3 global ground stations to communicate with the explorer Rashid, with the aim of increasing the window of communication with the explorer, indicating that the ground station in Dubai allows 6 hours for communication, while other stations allow With more hours, up to 20 and a half hours a day. He added: Communications with the explorer Rashid will be scheduled with the various ground stations, and he pointed out that there is a main communication system, which will be used mainly, and it will be through the landing craft in sending all data and commands, and in the event of any problem in this system will be relied on The back-up communication system on the navigator is the main means of communication between the navigator and the station.
And he indicated that the explorer Rashid is communicated daily through the ground station for 10 minutes, and the computer system, the communication system, the system responsible for measuring temperatures, as well as the battery system and the energy system are operated to ensure the efficiency of the devices, with the aim of collecting data and downloading them at the ground station in Khawaneej, explaining that All his devices are stable.
He added: Communication will take place on a daily basis with the explorer until his arrival on the surface of the moon next April, and then the main mission will begin.
The director of the Emirates Mission to Explore the Moon said: The scientific data of the explorer Rashid mission will be provided free of charge to the international scientific community, a year after the end of the mission, as it will be collected, analyzed, processed and placed on the scientific platform, stressing that the scientific plan is ready before its implementation and is reviewed by the scientific team.
He stressed that there is a scientific team for the UAE mission to explore the moon, which includes 30 scientists from different international bodies, as data will be provided to them in a quick and smooth manner during and after the mission, and then it will be shared with the scientific community, explaining that the scientific outputs of the mission will be an addition to the global scientific community, including the Artemis mission program. America, especially since such data for the various global missions can be shared and everyone can benefit from it.

And about the distance that the explorer will travel daily, Al-Marzouqi said: The explorer’s descent vehicle does not depend on the distance it travels daily, as much as the path it takes, represented by leaving the Earth’s orbit to reach the farthest point from the planet, which is 1.4 million kilometers, on January 20, 2023. Which is considered the focal point for reorienting the trajectory in the correct way, so that a kind of free fall towards lunar gravity takes place, which takes until next March, to start entering the lunar orbit later.
He added: This focal point is what will determine the success and efficiency of the mission and the landing of the vehicle on the surface of the moon and the specific location for that, as well as the stage of entering the orbit around the moon, which requires a course adjustment, in addition to landing on the surface of the moon, indicating that if the error is large in the coordinates The path, it may cause the mission to fail, and the “iSpace” company supplied the vehicle with more fuel than is necessary, in anticipation of any modification of the path, but sometimes it is difficult to correct some errors, especially with the coordinates.
And he indicated that the duration of the flight does not depend on the type of fuel as much as the amount that is burned, as the closest arrival time to the moon requires 6 days, but it also requires burning more fuel, explaining that the mission of the Emirates is different, as “iSpace” relied on the thrust of the launch missile. “Falcon 9”, which put the lander in an orbit that allows it to move 1.4 million km away, after which the fuel required to be burned is by adjusting the path at specific times.
Al-Marzouqi said: The mission includes 7 basic stages, and success has been achieved in the first 4 of them, namely the launch, ensuring the safety of the vehicle in general, and ensuring the safety of the vehicle’s cargo, including the “explorer”, as well as ensuring the ability of the propulsion and track control systems to move forward. .

first photo
About the first image that will be taken immediately after landing on the surface of the moon, Al-Marzouqi said: It will be from the front camera of the lander, which will capture the location of the explorer’s descent, in order for the team to study the nature and topography of the area in order to avoid possible difficulties, followed by granting permission to “iSpace” to land. The explorer, where another image will be taken of the explorer in the landing area, and then more than one image will be taken by the explorer’s robotic arm camera of the surrounding area, then the explorer will be released from the landing platform, and he will begin his first steps on the lunar soil.
He continued: After the descent vehicle lands on the surface of the moon, it needs 8 hours to ensure the safety of all systems and the operation of the rapid communication system, and the explorer Rashid needs 4 hours to release the robotic arm and the communication antenna in order to conduct a series of tests before starting his missions.

explorer mission
d said. Hamad Al Marzouqi, Director of the Emirates Lunar Exploration Project, said that the explorer’s mission on the moon’s surface will last one lunar day, starting after sunrise in the landing area on the surface of the moon, until before sunset, during which the explorer works on implementing the basic idea of ​​the mission, which is Moving on the surface of the moon, visiting different places, and each site will have a clear scientific plan, including imaging and measuring electrical charges, and these plans will be in coordination between the scientific and engineering teams at the center, and then sent to the operations team, which in turn implements the plan and receives data, pointing out The team has the flexibility to change plans based on the reality on the lunar surface, and this is done very quickly to make the most of the duration of the mission on the lunar surface.
He pointed out that the lunar day witnesses the sunrise and its continuity until sunset for a period of 14 days, from Earth days, then it enters a night hibernation, and all its devices are closed, explaining that the duration of the explorer’s trip to the moon is four months, stressing that the work of the devices in the next lunar day will be important. Additional, because the main mission is in the lunar day that precedes his entry into the night hibernation.

He explained that after the completion of the main task, the team will attempt to conduct an additional task, and communication with the explorer will be made through the ground station in Al Khawaneej, in addition to additional ground stations, and to ensure the energy and efficiency of the explorer to conduct additional scientific experiments, explaining that if the explorer Rashid is operated after the mission This is a great achievement because most missions end after the lunar night, without the need for nuclear energy.
He explained that after the explorer lands on the surface of the moon, a calibration and testing of the efficiency of the mechanical system and its devices will be carried out, in preparation for the start of the scientific mission and movement in the “Mare Frigoris” area, specifically the “Atlas Crater” area that was chosen, where it will move within a radius of 500 meters. meter.
He added that the navigator’s movement depends on his presence near the Japanese landing craft “Hakuto-R” in order to provide good communication between them that helps to execute orders accurately, as the navigator must be in a clear field of vision for the vehicle, and on the other hand, the navigator’s movement is related to the angle of the sun’s rays. On which the solar panel cells rely to obtain their energy that helps them carry out the mission, pointing out that providing accurate and new scientific data is more important in its goal than increasing the explorer’s movement in a larger spatial environment.
Regarding the nature of communication between the work teams of the Emirates mission to explore the moon, he indicated that there is communication between the scientific, engineering and operations team, so that plans are drawn up to implement the mission in coordination with all of them, as each team has roles assigned to it, and the work of the next team depends on it. The ongoing flight, they are conducting many exercises, coordination and simulating the implementation of tasks in preparation for the most important stage and the successful landing on the moon.

Photographing the lunar surface
Al-Marzouqi explained that the scientific mission focuses on photographing the surface of the moon without interaction on the soil, indicating that the explorer is characterized by a number of advantages and technical specifications of high quality and efficiency, including 3D cameras, a suspension system, advanced sensor and communication systems, in addition to an external structure and solar panels to provide it with energy.
He added: The explorer will work by relying on solar energy panels, as it includes 4 cameras that move vertically and horizontally, including two primary cameras, a microscope camera, and a thermal imaging camera, in addition to sensors and systems equipped to analyze the properties of soil, dust, radioactive and electrical activities, and rocks on the surface of the moon, and it also includes a system To enhance the efficiency of adhesion of the explorer’s wheels to the surface of the moon, and to facilitate the process of overcoming natural barriers, and a solid structure to protect devices and engines from temperature changes.

Reason for delaying launch
The director of the Emirates Lunar Exploration Project touched on the reason for delaying the launch of the explorer Rashid aboard the SpaceX rocket, more than once, and that the reason for this was due to the presence of technical reasons in the rocket, which had to postpone the launch until its efficiency was confirmed, indicating that in such cases no Risk must always be taken, especially if there is a small percentage of technical barriers to a successful launch.

a trip
Al-Marzouqi indicated that the explorer’s journey is currently being monitored through the ground control station at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, and that they are very satisfied as a working team with its performance so far, which is reflected through the data that is received daily during the performance tests of its devices, while these reviews and tests will continue until reaching. surface of the moon by next April.
He stated that with regard to the missions that will go to the moon currently, there are 3 missions, including the Emirates mission, in addition to two other American missions, which were scheduled to be launched in 2021, but the Covid 19 pandemic postponed the launch, while this provided the opportunity for their mission to launch first, indicating that Their cooperation with the Japanese company, iSpace, during its first commercial mission, is a good thing, especially since it is the first of its kind to the moon, and that global missions are now beginning to be directed to commercial companies in launching them with the great services and facilities they provide, and that many space agencies have begun to move towards that.