The Emirati-made Rashid Rover of the UAE has been successfully lifted off for its journey to Moon today in the Emirates Lunar Mission. The launch was at 11:38am (UAE Time) yesterday, the 11th of December 2022. It is a historic moment for the United Arab Emirates as a country as well as all its Citizens and Residents. The Rover is named after the late Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, builder of modern Dubai.
Rashid Rover shot to the Moon yesterday on a SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket, aboard a Japanese-made Lunar Lander from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA. This, the first Emirates Lunar Mission (ELM) on its success, will make the UAE the First Arab Nation and among the First Countries in the World to land a Rover on the Lunar Surface. The mission will also give the global scientific community more knowledge and insights into the closest Planetary neighbours of our Earth. The launch of the Rashid Rover was postponed few times due climatic and technical reasons.
The Rashid Rover
The Rashid Rover will conduct studies on Moon’s Plasma conditions, Lunar Regolith (the superficial deposits covering solid rocks on the Moon’s surface). It also will analyze how Lunar Dust and Rocks will vary across the Moon. The Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) says that the Rover will provide fresh data for the development of new technologies. The Rover will land approximately five months after the launch, traveling about 385,000 kilometer space journey. It will land on the Atlas Crater on the southeastern outer edge of Moon.
Atyutka congratulates the great Visionaries of UAE and all technical and non-technical personnel working behind this and wishing all the very best for the successful launch and completion of the mission.
Read more about the Rashid Rover here
