UAE’s Rashid Rover to land on Moon on 25th April

UAE’s Rashid Rover to land on Moon on 25th April

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) announced today that the Rashid Rover, onboard the HAKUTO-R Mission 1 Lunar Lander, is scheduled to land on the Moon on 25th April 2023 at 8:40 PM (UAE time).

The landing date is subject to change depending on operational conditions. The Rashid Rover is currently orbiting the Moon at an altitude of about 100 km at the perilune (periapsis) and about 2,300 km at the apolune (apoapsis). The points in the orbit that is closest to the centre of the moon are called perilune, and the farthest is known as apolune.

At around 7:40 PM on 25th April, the lander carrying Rashid Rover will perform multiple orbital control manoeuvrers to reach a 100 km circular orbit around the Moon before initiating the landing sequence. During the landing sequence, the lander will perform a braking burn, firing its main propulsion system to decelerate from orbit. Utilising a series of pre-set commands, the lander will adjust its altitude and reduce velocity to make a soft landing on the confirmed site of Atlas Crater in the Mare Frigoris.

The ELM team will complete close to a total 370 minutes of communication with the world’s most compact rover before landing,