UAE to develop lander for Emirates asteroid belt mission

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of the Supreme Space Council, witnessed the signing of a pivotal agreement to develop a lander for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA).

The deal marks a key milestone in the UAE’s space exploration ambitions, with significant roles played by both government and private sector entities.

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, representing the Technology Innovation Institute (TII).

The lander is part of the larger mission to the asteroid belt

The lander, designed to study the asteroid Justitia, will be part of the larger EMA initiative, which spans a 13-year mission to explore asteroids beyond Mars.

In his remarks, Sheikh Hamdan emphasised the importance of the collaboration between various UAE institutions.

He 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.”

Strengthening UAE’s goal to be a leader in space exploration

Further outlining the mission’s broader objectives, Sheikh Hamdan noted the UAE’s vision to become a global leader in innovation and space exploration. “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,” he added. “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.”

The lander is set to be a key element of the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt, which will conduct a series of close flybys of seven asteroids, ultimately deploying the lander to study Justitia in detail. TII will lead the design, development, and testing of the lander, in collaboration with local academic institutions.

The project also includes the participation of UAE-based startups 971Space and SADEEM Space Solutions, which were involved in the mission concept review (MCR).

The UAE Space Agency has tasked TII with this important development following a competitive review process, given its extensive technical expertise and capacity to carry out such a complex mission.

The agreement also underscores the UAE’s commitment to empowering the private sector, with 50 per cent of the mission’s activities allocated to private companies and startups.

Collaboration between local and regional entities is a key focus

As part of the initiative, the UAE Space Agency plans to foster growth in the country’s space and technology sectors by encouraging collaboration between local and international players.

This approach aligns with the agency’s broader strategy to position the UAE as a leading space-faring nation, capable of generating business opportunities and expertise in cutting-edge fields.

The Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt, which will begin its spacecraft development phase, is expected to last a total of 13 years.

Following the spacecraft’s six-year development, a seven-year voyage will take the mission to the asteroid belt beyond Mars, where it will gather invaluable data on the targeted seven asteroids, before finally dispatching the lander to the seventh asteroid Justitia.

Sheikh Hamdan concluded by reaffirming the mission’s broader goals, stating, “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.”