Video: UAE’s Rashid Rover ready for next critical stage of Moon landing

Video: UAE’s Rashid Rover ready for next critical stage of Moon landing

Dubai: Engineers at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) are now preparing for the next ‘critical stages’ of the first Emirates Lunar Mission (ELM), following the successful launch of the UAE-made Rashid Rover on December 11. The Moon-bound rover is safely stored at a special compartment of the Japanese lunar lander Hakuto-R that is currently 500,000 kilometres away from Earth, 10 days after it was sent to space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA. All telemetry data received daily by the mission control centre at MBRSC indicate that the compact lunar rover is in good health, Dr. Hamad Al Marzooqi, ELM project manager, shared in an exclusive interview with Gulf News. “That is a very good sign in our mission,” noted Al Marzooqi, adding: “There will be some critical points in the coming weeks — we are looking forward to them and we will keep everyone posted once we reach those points.” The critical stages include orbital control manoeuvres that will be conducted by Hakuto-R during its cruise period. The Japanese-made lunar lander carrying Rashid Rover and other payload to the Moon is taking a circuitous but economic route. It