UAE: Asteroid belt mission lander to be developed with help of startups, academic institutions

The lander will be designed to study the seventh and final asteroid of the mission, 'Justitia'

Published: Thu 9 Jan 2025, 8:53 PM

Updated: Thu 9 Jan 2025, 8:54 PM

By
Web Desk

Photo: UAE Space Agency

Dubai's Crown Prince on Thursday witnessed the signing of an agreement to develop the lander for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA).

The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) has been selected by the UAE Space Agency to develop and execute the lander, which will be on board the MBR Explorer.

The lander will be designed to study the seventh and final asteroid of the mission, 'Justitia'.

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The institute will lead the design, development and testing phases of the lander, and provide opportunities for startups to lead various aspects of the programme, in line with the mission’s strategic objectives. The lander will be developed in the UAE, with the active participation of a number of academic institutions.

The agreement supports the space agency's strategy to empower the private sector and startups and generate business opportunities by creating new areas of expertise for Emirati and international startups operating within the country. This is in part of its plan to allocate five per cent of the mission to private sector companies.

The agreement was signed by Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports, and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency; and Faisal Al Bannai, Adviser to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs, and representative of the Technology Innovation Institute.

TII was selected for the project following the Mission Concept Review (MCR) of the lander, which was implemented by two UAE-based startup companies, 971Space and SADEEM Space Solutions.

The EMA mission spans 13 years, with a six-year spacecraft development phase followed by a seven-year voyage to the Main Asteroid Belt beyond Mars. The MBR Explorer will conduct a series of close flybys of seven asteroids, gathering invaluable and unprecedented data during these encounters, before finally dispatching the lander to the seventh asteroid Justitia.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, said: “The agreement signed to develop the EMA lander, which is designed to study ‘Justitia', highlights the spirit of cooperation between various UAE organisations and institutions, and embodies our philosophy of transforming challenges into opportunities, to build a bright future led by knowledge.”

“The UAE’s space exploration journey follows the leadership’s vision to make the UAE a global hub for innovation and advanced technology, and a leader in the global space sector. Our achievements in the space sector reflect our relentless ambition to promote the UAE’s competitiveness through pioneering steps that combine ambitious vision and scientific innovation," he added.

“Today, we are leaving an Emirati mark on the space exploration journey, and we affirm our commitment to continue supporting promising Emirati talents, besides encouraging the private sector to be a strategic partner in our future endeavours. This mission supports our ambition to transform our dreams into achievements that contribute to the advancement of humanity. We believe that this will inspire future generations in the UAE to achieve the impossible and explore new horizons,' concluded the Crown Prince.

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