UAE: Rashid Rover 2 Set to Achieve Its Moon Landing

UAE: Rashid Rover 2 Set to Achieve Its Moon Landing

The team at Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has already started working on the new lunar rover called Rashid 2 that will bring the UAE to the surface of the Moon, MBRSC director general Salem Al Marri has confirmed to Khaleej Times.

The deployment of the first Rashid Rover on the Moon on April 25 did not materialise after Hakuto-R Mission 1, the Japanese-made lunar lander, failed to accomplish a soft landing on the lunar surface.

“We have performed a successful mission”

But it was not a failure, AlMarri, who has around two decades of experience in engineering and space exploration under his belt, asserted during an exclusive phone interview with Khaleej Times on Wednesday.

AlMarri said, personally, he would have really loved to see images of the first Rashid Rover on the Moon. But he was also aware that lunar landings are difficult and only have a 50 per cent success rate.

On to the next mission

The team also got a boost of confidence after His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, visited MBRSC on April 26 and directed the team to immediately start implementing the Rashid 2 project.

Both rovers are