Look: New images show Moon crash site of spacecraft that carried UAE's Rashid Rover

Nasa shares pictures showing the site of the HAKUTO-R Mission craft's hard landing on the lunar surface

Published: Tue 23 May 2023, 8:46 PM

Updated: Tue 23 May 2023, 8:55 PM

By
Web Desk

Photos: Nasa

In April this year, ground control teams lost communication with the HAKUTO-R Mission 1 lunar lander, that was carrying UAE's Rashid Rover to the Moon. It was subsequently concluded that the vessel made a hard landing on the lunar surface.

On Tuesday, Nasa released images showing the site where the crash occurred.

The US space agency's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft used its cameras to capture images around the landing site. When photos taken before and after the landing were compared, anomalies were found.

According to Nasa, at least four pieces of debris and other minor discrepancies can be seen in the images.

In the coming days, the LRO will capture more images of the lunar surface, from different angles and visual conditions to get more information about the landing.

After the failed attempt, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, directed that another rover be built immediately, called Rashid Rover 2.

“The mission of the spacecraft carrying the Rashid Rover did not succeed in landing on the Moon. However, we succeeded in raising the ceiling of our ambitions to reach the Moon,” Sheikh Mohammed tweeted at the time. “We succeeded in creating a team of young men and women capable of managing advanced space projects. We succeeded in building a space sector from scratch within 10 years.”

He said that Rashid 1 is on the surface of the Moon “carrying the flag of the Emirates”. Both rovers are named after the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, builder of modern Dubai.

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