Hamdan Witnesses Agreement to Develop MBR Explorer Lander for UAE’s Asteroid Belt Mission
Dubai: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, today attended the signing ceremony for an agreement to develop the MBR Explorer lander for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA). This agreement marks a significant milestone in the UAE’s ambitious mission to explore the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, with the goal of landing on the asteroid Justitia.
In a message on X, Sheikh Hamdan emphasized the importance of this collaboration between national institutions and the private sector, alongside the UAE’s partnership with the Technology Innovation Institute (TII).
The agreement was signed by Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, UAE Minister of Sports and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, and Faisal Al Bannai, Adviser to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs, representing TII. Sheikh Hamdan stressed that the UAE’s space exploration efforts reflect the country’s commitment to global innovation and scientific excellence.
The MBR Explorer mission will deploy the EMA lander to study Justitia, the seventh asteroid in the mission’s itinerary. The UAE Space Agency selected TII to lead the development of the lander, which will be manufactured in the UAE in collaboration with local academic institutions and startups.
TII will oversee the design, development, and testing of the lander, which will involve UAE-based companies such as 971Space and SADEEM Space Solutions. This mission, which spans 13 years, aims to gather unprecedented data from seven asteroids before landing on Justitia. The UAE government has committed to empowering the private sector, with 50% of the mission allocated to UAE startups and businesses.
