His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and President of the Supreme Space Council, witnessed the signing of an agreement between the Emirates Space Agency and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, to provide launch services using the H3 carrier rocket in 2028 for the spacecraft « Explorer Mohammed bin Rashid for the UAE mission to explore the asteroid belt, one of the largest UAE national projects in the field of space.
The UAE mission to explore the asteroid belt and the process of developing the “Mohammed Bin Rashid Explorer,” scheduled to be launched in the first quarter of 2028, comes as a continuation of the success of the UAE mission to explore Mars, the “Hope Probe.” This agreement is the third partnership of its kind between the UAE and Mitsubishi to launch national Emirati missions, after the launch of the “KhalifaSat” satellite in 2018, and the Emirates mission to explore Mars “Hope Probe” in 2020.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum stressed that the mission to explore the asteroid belt planet represents a pivotal step in the UAE’s efforts to consolidate its position as a major partner in space science. His Highness said: The UAE’s mission to explore the planet Venus and the asteroid belt is a new achievement added to the record of our national achievements, and with Emirati hands. The wise leadership has invested in the past years in building national competencies and providing them with the knowledge and skills necessary for the UAE to write a new chapter in its success in the space sector.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum stressed that the signing of the agreement between the Emirates Space Agency and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to launch the “Explorer Mohammed bin Rashid” represents a strategic step towards strengthening the UAE’s position in the global space sector. His Highness said: The space sector is the gateway to the future, and investing in it enhances the UAE’s leadership in the scientific and technological fields. The mission to explore the asteroid belt is one of the largest national space projects, and embodies our ambition to build a future that depends on innovation and knowledge, and benefits future generations.
His Highness added: Under the guidance of our wise leadership, we continue to build strong global partnerships that support our goals in space exploration and the development of new technologies that contribute to achieving sustainable development and enhance the knowledge economy. Our ambitions are limitless, and we are working to achieve greater achievements in the coming years.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also received Dr. Hiroshi Yamakawa, President of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and a delegation from the agency, where Dr. Hiroshi Yamakawa expressed the strengthening of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, achieving the goals of the international space exploration map, and supporting global efforts to enhance Sustainability in space activities, and expressed his confidence in continuing to work together to strengthen this partnership in the field of space.
The mission extends over a period of 13 years, divided into 6 years to develop and design the spacecraft, and 7 years to explore the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and conduct a series of close maneuvers to collect data for the first time on seven asteroids in the main asteroid belt, while landing a lander on the seventh asteroid. Justicia.
The Explorer Mohammed bin Rashid vehicle will carry a group of advanced scientific devices that will work together to achieve the scientific objectives of the mission, which revolve around knowing the origins and development of water-rich asteroids and estimating the possibility of using these asteroids as resources for future space exploration missions.
His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the UAE Space Agency, said that the UAE’s mission to explore the asteroid belt will contribute to strengthening the UAE’s strategy aimed at forming effective local and global partnerships and investments in the space industry, adding: This partnership reflects the next stage in the UAE’s journey. Towards deep space, and our great confidence in Mitsubishi technology and expertise.
The Emirates mission to explore the asteroid belt will cover a distance of 5 billion kilometers, in an orbital journey consisting of 6 flights to reach the seventh asteroid, “Justitia,” which includes 3 maneuvers with the help of the gravitational force of Venus, Earth, and Mars to increase the speed of the spacecraft, and to support a series of close flybys that begin in February 2030 at the Westerwald, Chimera and Rocox asteroids and will continue until 2034, ending with the final flyby of the seventh asteroid “Justitia”.
The “Explorer Mohammed bin Rashid” vehicle also carries 4 advanced scientific devices, including: a visible camera, a medium-wave infrared spectrometer, a thermal infrared spectrometer, and an infrared camera. These devices will measure surface composition, geology, internal density, temperatures, and properties. Thermophysics of several asteroids in the main asteroid belt to evaluate their surface evolution and history and better understand their water-rich origins.
A group of academic and hardware development partners are participating in the mission, which include: Khalifa University, New York University Abu Dhabi, the National Center for Space Science and Technology at the United Arab Emirates University, and national institutions such as the Technological Innovation Institute, Yahsat, and local and international partners from the private sector. In addition to partnerships with local and international agencies, institutions, and universities, such as the Italian Space Agency, the American University of Colorado, and the University of Arizona in the United States.
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