UAE has announced that it will send the world’s first Arab mission to the moon by 2024. The announcement comes months after the successful launch of the Hope Probe to Mars by the country.
The new mission came as part of the 10-year strategy of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) which was assessed by Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The 2021-31 mission focuses on three areas which include space mission, research and development and sustainability.
The Hope Probe, Environmental Monitoring Satellites, Emirates Moon Exploration Project and second mission for astronauts come under the space mission vertical. The research and development strategy includes food security research in space, the Emirates Space Stimulation Program, Innovation and Development Center and Mars Science City.
The sustainability projects include space entrepreneur programs, International Astronautical Congress and the World organization for Sustainability in Space.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice-President & Prime Minister of the UAE & Ruler of Dubai
“The Emirati space program is sustainable and would produce outputs that would have practical applications across other sectors. Professionals from these sectors will share their experiences with the rest of the country and the region. It will build international knowledge partnerships that will benefit humanity.”
The Emirates Moon Exploration Project plans to send the first Arab mission employing “national competencies” to the moon by 2024. But it is not clear if it is a manned or an unmanned mission.
The UAE Prime Minister along with the MBRSC reviewed the plans which would help the country to create a new phase of cooperation with international space agencies.
The plan included The Emirates Mars Mission (Hope Probe), the Mars 2117 project, the UAE Astronaut Program, the UAE Satellite Program and the UAE Space Sector Sustainability Program along with the aims of the UAE National Space Program.
The key objective of the new strategy is to create a young generation of qualified and skilled national squads in the space sector to track development in science, technology and space sectors and to attract new investments, which is over $5.9 billion in the past few years.
