UAE Plans New Lunar Rover after Failed Moon Landing
The UAE has revealed its next effort to land on the Moon and will soon begin developing a new lunar rover. The rover will be known as Rashid 2, according to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai.
The news was made one day after the Rashid Rover-bearing Hakuto-R Mission 1 spacecraft most likely crashed on the moon’s surface. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), where the rover was created by an all-Emirati crew, welcomed the Dubai Ruler on Wednesday. He has instructed the group to launch the Rashid 2 project right away, which is a fresh effort to land a rover on the Moon.
Rashid 1 is reportedly “carrying the flag of the Emirates” on the Moon’s surface, according to Sheikh Mohammed. The late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, who constructed contemporary Dubai, is honored in the names of both rovers. “The Rashid Rover mission’s attempt to touch down on the Moon was unsuccessful. We did, however, raise the bar for our moon-related aspirations,” Sheikh Mohammed tweeted. “We were successful in assembling a group of young people who could oversee complex space programs. Within 10 years, we were successful in creating a space sector from scratch.
He claimed that the UAE was an ambitious nation. “Since December 2, 1971, our nation has continued without interruption. Nothing can stop it. It will not turn around. It will not set small goals for itself. The next is more beautiful, greater and more daring,” he vowed.
Sheikh Mohammed was accompanied during the tour by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. He said, paraphrasing Sheikh Mohammed, “The biggest risk is not to take any risk.” Any space mission involves risk, but we have never let that stop us from pushing the boundaries of space exploration. Our dedication to launching ground-breaking missions that will establish the UAE as a preeminent spacefaring nation is unwavering, and our ambition knows no bounds.
Just before landing, the Japanese spacecraft carrying Rashid 1 lost contact with the ground control team in Tokyo. It was then revealed by Ispace that there is a good chance the spacecraft will eventually make a hard landing on the Moon’s surface.
