UAE

UAE: Rashid rover integrated with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket for launch

The Japanese lunar lander with a UAE-built rover on board has been integrated onto a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for the launch on Wednesday.

SpaceX will attempt to launch the Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander, developed by private company ispace, at 12.39pm UAE time, from the Launch Complex 40 pad at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The 10kg Rashid rover is one of many government and commercial payloads that the lander is carrying, with a landing attempt on the Moon expected at the end of April.

“We are pleased to have finished the first phase of Mission 1 with the final preparations before launch completed,” said Takeshi Hakamada, founder of ispace. “We have achieved so much in the six short years since we first began conceptualising this project in 2016.”

Ispace will attempt to land the mission in the Atlas crater in the Mare Frigoris site, located in the far north of the Moon’s near side.

The Rashid rover will spend one lunar day exploring the area, capturing scientific data and images.

The launch on Wednesday will be streamed live by SpaceX.

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The National
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