The United Arab Emirates ended 2022 with reaching out for the moon, as it launched Rashid Rover from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 11 December. The rover which is named after the former ruler of Dubai intends to study the electrically charged environment of the moon surface. The UAE is making strides in space exploration and is leading the Arab world in astronomical feats. Emirates sent a mission to Mars in July 2020 and is looking at establishing the first settlement on the red planet in the next 100 years. The UAE’s interplanetary mission 2028 plans to reach the orbit of Venus and explore the asteroid belt beyond Mars.
UAE’s Moon Mission
The UAE’s moon mission is part of its space exploration program, as the gulf country recognizes the need for the applications of remote sensing through satellites especially in mapping of natural resources and monitoring of environmental conditions. It is also aware of the use of remote sensing in land-use planning and security. The UAE launched a four-wheeled rover indigenously built by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, Dubai. The Rashid Rover weighing 10 kg and 70 cm high is named in the honor of the former Emirati ruler late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al-Maktoum and is the first rover built by an Arab country. The rover will land on the Atlas crater situated in the Mare Frigoris site, located in the far-north of the moon’s near side and study the unexplored lunar surfaces.[i]
Emirates’ successful rover launch was a collaborative effort of the UAE, Japan and the US. The rover built in the UAE was carried by the Falcon 9 re-usable two stage rocket built by the American aerospace company SpaceX. The rover will be assisted to land on the moon surface by the lander Hakuto-R Mission 1 built by a Japanese lunar exploration private company iSpace. A French space agency has supplied top and rear cameras to enable transmission of photographs. Rashid Rover is to land on the moon in April 2023 and collect samples and take photographs during one lunar day or 14 Earth days of its stay on the surface. The rover has been designed to withstand extreme cold environment of moon nights where temperatures can go as low as minus 183 degrees Celsius.
Rashid rover will study the properties of lunar soil along with the petrography[ii] and geology of the moon.[iii] It will also analyze the dust movement and surface plasma conditions[iv] of the lunar surface. The UAE is also working on Rashid 2, the second mission to the moon, and China will assist the gulf country to launch the rover on its Chang’e-7 Lunar South Pole Mission in 2026.
Moon mission is an ambitious project of the UAE and has been applauded by the Emirati leaders. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and the ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, were in the control room of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre during the launch of Rashid Rover. The Vice President said that reaching the moon is another milestone in the ambitious march of the UAE and Emirates’ aspirations are boundless. He also said that passing on knowledge, developing Emirates’ capabilities, and adding a scientific footprint in human history is the goal of the UAE. Similarly, Takeshi Hakamada, CEO of iSpace, stated that this mission will lay the groundwork for unleashing the moon's potential and transforming it into a robust and vibrant economic system.[v]
Figure: Moon Mission – Facts
Source: Sarwat Nasir, UAE moon mission: Rashid Rover on way after historic launch, The National, December 11, 2022, available at https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2022/12/11/uaes-rashid-rover-on-way-to-the-moon-after-historic-launch/ (Accessed on December 21, 2022)
Space Program Boosts Emirates’ Soft Power
Emirates’ astronomical feats are significant at various levels: firstly, it establishes the UAE at the regional level as a country that is capable of competing with the world; secondly, it symbolizes the UAE’s emergence as an important country at the global stage. During the launch of the UAE’s national space program in 2017, Vice President and the ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum mentioned that the national space program is significant at two levels: firstly, it sends a message to the Arab world that the gulf country is capable of competing at the global level; secondly, the program ensures the global community that Emirates has the potential to make new scientific breakthroughs for the benefit of mankind.
It is to be noted that the UAE’s national space program was launched in 2017 with two major goals: firstly, Emirates aims at realization of the first scientific city on the red planet as part of the 2117 Mars program and, secondly, it intends to achieve the launch of Arab space program in order to set common scientific plans for space discovery. Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre is endowed with the responsibility of developing the UAE’s national space program in collaboration with international space partners.[vi]
Youth-Centric Space Policies
In addition, the UAE’s space programs aim to train the Arab and Emirati youth in space sciences. Maktoum underlined that the UAE’s space program is the largest integrated scientific plan in the Arab world and it lays down a solid foundation for building Emirati cadres specialized in space science. The program aims to nurture new generations that are able to achieve scientific breakthroughs to enrich human knowledge. He added that the UAE aims to train and send the first Emirati and Arab astronaut to join the team of scientists at the International Space Station.
Similarly, the current President of the UAE and the ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said that investing in space is an investment in Emirati and Arab minds that will lead the country to greater heights. The UAE is heading towards a new phase of scientific achievements and it will support Emirati citizens to compete globally. He underlined the UAE leadership’s keenness to provide its citizens with all the needed tools and potential that will open up new prospects for innovation, creativity and scientific excellence.[vii]
Moreover, the UAE’s achievements in space sciences generate a sense of pride among the Arab youth. The Emirati youth hailed the vision and determination of their leaders as the first Arab moon mission lifted off from Florida.[viii] Hazza al Mansoori, the first Emirati in space, said that the UAE has a big and ambitious space flight program and the UAE is one of the first few countries to join the Artemis accord.[ix] The UAE’s Mars mission sent an important message of possibility and hope to the Arab youth in the region.[x] The chairperson of the UAE Space Agency said that Mars mission is to provide an opportunity for the youth to apply themselves positively for growth, while noting that the youth were being used and radicalized in the region.[xi]
Space Program and the UAE’s Economy
The Emirates’ space endeavor also supports the UAE’s quest for economic diversification and to emerge as a knowledge economy.[xii] The UAE’s Ministry of Economy counts space as one of its promising economic sectors.[xiii] Emirates confers great significance to the space sector and the UAE Space Centre has launched a survey to measure how the space sector has contributed to the national economy. The survey will focus on the number of companies working in the sector, foreign investment in space sciences and the total spending on space projects. It will also explore the avenues to invest in the concerned research and development as well as the number of people employed in the sector.[xiv]
Space Investment Promotion Plan Version 1.0 of the UAE Space Agency gives a detailed account of the national plan to support the strategic objectives of the sector, aimed at promoting the diversification of the national economy, including science, technology, applications and services.
Table: Goals of Space Investment Promotion Plan in the UAE
Sustain the growth of the UAE space industry • Develop a space-related industry ecosystem in the UAE • Support the development of technologies that will create spin-off, and access to space data
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Increase the UAE’s space sector contribution to the diversification of national economy and to knowledge-based economy
• Growing the number of new companies and job opportunities, especially highly skilled ones • Encourage international companies to have the UAE as center to its headquarters and activities • Increase other sectors’ utilization of space industry and vice versa • Set the UAE as a regional hub for space and investment in space
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Support other national strategic interests • Attract more students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and create a highly skilled human capital force that could be beneficial to all UAE industry • Provide possibilities to increase national independence in security and access to space • Increase R&D activities and the culture of innovation via attracting more investment in space projects
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Promote partnership at national and international levels • Facilitate local, regional and international partnerships between government, private, academic and R&D entities in space-related projects and activities • Increase the UAE visibility on the worldwide space arena |
Source: Space Investment Promotion Plan Version 1.0, UAE Space Program, available at https://space.gov.ae/Documents/PublicationPDFFiles/Space_Invest_Plan_EN_Summary_042020.pdf (Accessed on December 28, 2022)
The plan emphasises that the private investment in the space sector has increased over the years. In 2017, private industry revenue constituted for 79 per cent while government budgets comprised of 21 per cent of the $ 348 billion space economy. The UAE intends to promote the existing space related small and medium enterprises, and create a transparent, proactive, simple and flexible space regulatory framework. It also aims to create a one-stop shop to facilitate licensing and the settlement of space businesses while leveraging the existing Special Economic Zones to encourage them establish space zones. [xv]
Moreover, the UAE has launched $820 million fund to boost the domestic space economy and the first investment will go towards the establishment of a remote-sensing satellite constellation called Sirb, meaning a flight of birds in Arabic. The satellites will use synthetic aperture radar technology to capture high-resolution images with practical usage in border control, oil spill detection and ship location tracking.
Conclusion
The UAE is making new strides with the moon mission and can provide a stimulus for the other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. In December 2022, Saudi Space Commission announced the launch of its Space Accelerator Program aiming to enhance the national space sector through the development of its infrastructure and enabling local entrepreneurs and businesses to advance innovative and proactive space solutions.[xvi] Riyadh has also announced the astronaut program through which it intends to send two Saudi citizens to space in 2023.[xvii]
Similarly, Bahrain plans to position itself in the field of space sciences through the National Space Science Agency established in 2014 for the purpose of achieving comprehensive and sustainable development.[xviii] Also, Oman has announced to launch a Space Research Centre for simulation missions and science experiments.[xix]
The UAE’s fast-growing space program acts as a catalyst for the GCC countries that are aspiring to venture into space sciences. Kuwait has begun 2023 with the launch of its first satellite Kuwait Sat1 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida.[xx] The space maneuvers that had come to a halt due to the destruction of its first ground satellite station have got revived with the establishment of the Kuwaiti company Orbital Space, a private enterprise to promote Kuwait’s capabilities in space technology.[xxi] As Emirates reaches for the moon, it is an inspiration for the other GCC countries that are engaged proactively in augmenting their respective space programs.
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* Dr. Lakshmi Priya, Research Fellow, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal.
Endnotes
[i] Sarwat Nasir, Rashid Rover: Everything you need to know about UAE’s moon mission, The National, December 09, 2022, available at https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/uae-in-space/2022/12/09/rashid-rover-everything-you-need-to-know-about-uaes-moon-mission/ (Accessed on December 21, 2022)
[ii] Petrography is the study of rocks in thin sections by means of a microscope specifically designed for the purpose.
[iii] Rashid Rover sends first signal to UAE Space Centre, Sheikh Mohammed says, The National, December 14, 2022, available at https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/uae-in-space/2022/12/14/rashid-rover-sends-first-signal-to-uae-space-centre-sheikh-mohammed-says/#:~:text=Lunar%20dust%2C%20or%20regolith%2C%20is,plunge%20to%20%2D183%C2%B0C (Accessed on December 22, 2022)
[iv] The lunar surface is exposed to solar wind plasma, UV radiation, and/or the plasma environment of our magnetosphere. M. Horányi, X. Wang, S. Robertson, and Z. Sternovsky, Surface–Plasma interaction on the moon, AIP Conference Proceedings 1041, 113 (2008), available at https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.2996718 (Accessed on December 25, 2022)
[v] Sarwat Nasir, UAE moon mission: Rashid Rover on way after historic launch, The National, December 11, 2022, available at https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2022/12/11/uaes-rashid-rover-on-way-to-the-moon-after-historic-launch/ (Accessed on December 21, 2022)
[vi] National Space Programme, UAE Government, available at https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/strategies-initiatives-and-awards/strategies-plans-and-visions/industry-science-and-technology/national-space-programme (Accessed on December 25, 2022)
[vii] UAE national space programme launched, Gulf News, April 12, 2027, available at https://gulfnews.com/uae/government/uae-national-space-programme-launched-1.2010552 (Accessed on December 26, 2022)
[viii] Sajeela Saseendran, Emirates lunar mission: Rashid Rover lifted our dreams to the moon, say proud Emirati Youth, Gulf News, December 11, 2022, available at https://gulfnews.com/uae/emirates-lunar-mission-rashid-rover-lifted-our-dreams-to-the-moon-say-proud-emirati-youth-1.92641860 (Accessed on December 27, 2022)
[ix] Jonathan Porter, UAE's giant leap into space, National Geographic, October 25, 2021, available at https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/paid-content-uaes-giant-leap-into-space (Accessed on December 28, 2022)
It is to be noted that Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are other Arab countries that have joined hands for peaceful exploration of deep space through NASA’s Artemis accords of 2020.
International Partners Advance Cooperation with First Signings of Artemis Accords, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), October 13, 2020, available at https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-international-partners-advance-cooperation-with-first-signings-of-artemis-accords (Accessed on December 28, 2022)
[x] Why the UAE’s Mars mission is the Arab world’s moon shot, Smithsonian Magazine, available at https://www.smithsonianmag.com/sponsored/uae-emirates-mars-mission-al-amal-hope-probe-future-space-exploration-moon-shot-180971670/ (Accessed on December 29, 2022)
[xi] Meghan Bartels, The United Arab Emirates’ Hope Probe approaches Mars, Scientific American, February 08, 2021, available at https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-united-arab-emirates-hope-probe-approaches-mars/ (Accessed on December 25, 2022)
[xii] Lakshmi Priya, Mars mission: A beacon of HOPE, Diplomatist, July 30, 2020, available at https://diplomatist.com/2020/07/30/mars-mission-a-beacon-of-hope/ (Accessed on January 04, 2023)
[xiii] Aria Almalhodaei, United Arab Emirates launches $820M fund to boost domestic space economy, Tech Crunch+, July 19, 2022, available at https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/18/united-arab-emirates-launches-820m-fund-to-boost-domestic-space-economy/ (Accessed on December 25, 2022)
[xiv] Sarwat Nasir, UAE launches survey on how space sector is helping economy to grow, The National, September 05, 2022, available at https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2022/09/05/uae-launches-survey-on-how-space-sector-is-helping-economy-to-grow/ (Accessed on January 06, 2023)
[xv] Space Investment Promotion Plan Version 1.0, UAE Space Program, available at https://space.gov.ae/Documents/PublicationPDFFiles/Space_Invest_Plan_EN_Summary_042020.pdf (Accessed on December 28, 2022)
[xvi] Saudi Space Commission announces launch of Saudi Space Accelerator Program, Arab News, December 05, 2022, available at https://www.arabnews.com/node/2211276/business-economy (Accessed on December 29, 2022)
[xvii] Mike Wall, Saudi Arabia aims to launch its 1st woman to space as soon as 2023, SPACE.com, September 22, 2022, available at https://www.space.com/saudi-arabia-astronaut-program-1st-woman-launch-2023 (Accessed on December 27, 2022)
[xviii] Space and Science, Information and eGovernment Authority, Bahrain, available at https://www.bahrain.bh/new/en/techtelespace-space_en.html#:~:text=Bahrain's%20fist%20Satellite,by%20team%20of%20young%20Bahrainis. (Accessed on December 26, 2022)
[xix] Sarwat Nasir, Oman to build space research centre for simulation missions and experiments, The National, September 15, 2022, available at https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2022/09/15/oman-to-build-space-research-centre-for-simulation-missions-and-experiments/ (Accessed on December 26, 2022)
[xx] Kuwait launches first satellite: Onboard the SpaceX Falcon 9, Middle East Economy, January 05, 2023, available at https://economymiddleeast.com/news/kuwait-satellite/ (Accessed on January 06, 2023)
[xxi] Sophie Smith, The emerging space industry in Kuwait, The Euro-Gulf Information Centre, available at https://www.egic.info/emerging-space-industry-kuwait (Accessed on January 09, 2023)