Ispace, a Japanese space exploration company, has announced that the Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander carrying the UAE’s Rashid rover has successfully entered lunar orbit. This achievement marks a major milestone for the UAE’s long-term lunar exploration program, which aims to position the country as a significant player in the global space exploration community.
The spacecraft launched on December 11, 2021, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and has travelled millions of kilometres using a low-energy transfer route that relies on the gravitational forces of the Sun and Earth to push the spacecraft towards the Moon. This approach is cost-effective and energy-efficient, making it a popular choice for missions to the Moon and other celestial bodies.
Ispace has announced that it will attempt a landing on the Atlas Crater region of the Moon in late April. Three backup sites have also been identified to ensure the success of the mission. If successful, this landing would be a significant milestone for the UAE’s space program as only the US, the former Soviet Union, and China have achieved soft landings on the Moon.
Once the Rashid rover is on the lunar surface, it will spend 14 days conducting experiments and collecting data on the Moon’s geology, soil properties, dust movement, surface plasma conditions, and photoelectron sheath. This data will be analyzed by Emirati engineers to gain a better understanding of the Moon’s unique features and potential for scientific discovery.
The successful entry of the UAE’s Rashid rover into lunar orbit has been celebrated by the country’s leadership, with Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, praising the achievement as a proud moment for the UAE. With the support of the country’s leaders and the determination of its youth, the UAE is poised to become a major player in the global space exploration community.
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