New target launch date announced

 

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has announced a new date for the launch attempt of the UAE’s first mission to the Moon.

The inaugural launch of the Rashid Rover is now scheduled to take place on Sunday, December 11, 2022, at 2.38am Eastern US Time or 11:38am UAE time. 

The Rashid Rover — named after the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, former Ruler of Dubai — has cleared all the required tests.

A successful mission would make the UAE the fourth country globally to land on the Moon.

The rover is expected to land on lunar surface about five months after the launch.

The primary landing site of the Rashid Rover is the Atlas Crater on the southeastern outer edge of Mare Frigoris. A ‘mare’ is a flat, dark plain on the lunar surface. The site is located on the Moon's far north side and has not been explored previously.

The site was chosen along with multiple contingencies, which may be used depending on variables that occur during transit. The site meets the technical specifications of the lander technology demonstration mission and the scientific exploration objectives for the Emirates Lunar Mission.