UAE Announces Space Mission To Land MBR Explorer on Asteroid 5 Billion Kilometres Away
The UAE has launched an ambitious space mission to land a craft on an asteroid 5 billion kilometres away. The MBR explorer, named after Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, will visit seven asteroids on a 13-year mission. Describing the project as one of the most important in the field of space, Sheikh Mohammed said it would include six years of development and seven years for a space exploration journey.
He shared details of the project on Twitter, saying: “The UAE project to explore the asteroid belt is a huge national scientific project and a unique global research and knowledge project. It will include the establishment of private Emirati companies in space technology, the establishment of a ground control centre for deep space missions and the training of new Emirati graduates in this sector. The UAE can venture far into space, covering five billion kilometres for one reason: its belief in its youth and its empowerment of its citizens.”
The mission will see the MBR Explorer travel 10 times further than the Hope Probe, which went to Mars. On its journey, the spacecraft will visit seven asteroids:
- 10253 Westerwald
- 623 Chimaera
- 13294 Rockox
- 88055
- 23871
- 59980
- 269 Justitia
The UAE is all set to commence another ambitious space project, the ‘Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt’ that will consolidate the nation’s status as a major global space power. This 13-year project features six years of development and seven years of exploration.
UAE Space Agency released details of the design of the spacecraft named the “MBR Explorer”, in addition to mission operations and scientific objectives. It also announced a three-week launch period for the mission starting in March 2028.
The mission aims to add to our understanding of the foundation of the solar system and the presence and origins of the building blocks of life found in the asteroid belt, as well as prepare the ground for possible future resource extraction from asteroids.
The EMA comprises a thirteen-year mission: a six-year spacecraft development phase followed by a seven-year flight to the main asteroid belt beyond Mars, and a series of close flybys to conduct unique observations of seven main belt asteroids.
