The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has signed a contract with Japan’s ispace, under which the latter will provide payload delivery services for the ambitious Emirates Lunar Mission.
Under this agreement, ispace becomes a key strategic and implementation partner to MBRSC on the Emirates Lunar Mission, the first of its kind from the Arab world.
The Rashid rover will be transported to the moon on ispace’s lunar lander during the company’s Mission 1 in 2022 as part of its commercial programme known as HAKUTO-R.
Under the terms of the agreement, the Japanese lunar exploration company will deliver Rashid rover to the moon, provide wired communication and power during the cruise phase, and engage in wireless communication on the lunar surface.
The project is a key part of the UAE’s space exploration strategy. Upon the execution of the mission, the UAE and Japan are anticipated to be the next two nations to successfully put a spacecraft on the lunar surface, following the United States, Russia and China.
Yousuf Hamad AlShaibani (pictured below), director-general, MBRSC, said: “We are now leveraging our advanced scientific and technological hub by partnering with international entities that will aid in creating a new space economy landscape in the country. Our mission through scientific endeavours such as the Emirates Lunar Mission is to keep the UAE flag flying high and be at the forefront of countries contributing to scientific achievements that will change the future for humanity.”
Adnan AlRais, Mars 2117 programme manager and senior director Remote Sensing Department, MBRSC, added: “Our association with Japan’s ispace is in line with the MBRSC’s ambitious vision of growing a vibrant and sustainable space ecosystem through collaborations and partnerships.
“The Emirates Lunar Mission represents a milestone in the UAE’s space sector as the mission will contribute towards providing valuable data and information relating to the moon that will serve the global scientific community as well as test capabilities that would be crucial for manned missions to Mars.”
Takeshi Hakamada, founder and CEO, ispace, said: “The world will be watching as our commercial lander carries the Rashid rover to the moon. We’re pleased to advance collaboration between the UAE and Japan in space exploration, as well as to inspire more collaborations for lunar exploration between the public and commercial sector around the world.”
As governments and companies around the world set their sights on the moon, fostering public-private partnerships such as this can further lunar science, drive forward new innovations, and foster the growth of the burgeoning commercial lunar exploration market.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, founded in 2006, is home to the UAE National Space Programme. It has launched the DubaiSat-1, DubaiSat-2 and the KhalifaSat while also overseeing the Emirates Mars Mission Hope Probe, which became the first Arab interplanetary mission to reach the Martian orbit in February.
ispace is a lunar exploration company with over 130 staff and offices in Japan, Europe and the United States.
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