24.02.2024

The Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA) team has conducted a preliminary design review for the mission and discussed its latest developments.

Image: UAE Space Agency

This is a major milestone for the mission’s production phase as it ensures the mission’s safety and success.

Salem Butti Al Qubaisi, Director-General of UAE Space Agency, said: “Today, the UAE plays a decisive role in shaping the global space exploration map, by adopting ambitious missions and applying the highest quality and safety standards in its space missions.”

Al Qubaisi added: “The final phase of the mission’s design is more than just a technical step. It reflects our strategic vision and continuous development to support the achievement of the mission’s scientific goals and enhance our position as pioneers in this vital sector.”

Al Qubaisi continued: “We affirm our commitment to advancing and making more achievements that contribute to promoting the scientific progress of humanity, and inspiring a new generation of scientists and explorers. We also aim to expand strategic partnerships with scientific and academic institutions locally and globally, to enrich our mission with knowledge and technological resources and increase our chances of success in current and future missions.”

The meetings were attended by the EMA team, UAE Space Agency leadership and employees, strategic and knowledge partners, as well as organisations and institutions from the public and private sector in the UAE.

EMA consists of a six-year spacecraft design and development phase followed by launch and a seven-year mission to the main asteroid belt beyond Mars, performing a series of close flybys to make a series of observations of seven main belt asteroids, and finally landing on Justitia. The MBR Explorer will carry advanced scientific devices that will work together to achieve the mission’s scientific objectives. The mission's objectives focus on understanding the origins and evolution of water-rich asteroids and evaluating the possibility of using asteroids as resources for future space exploration missions.

The mission will measure the surface composition, geology, interior density, temperatures, and thermophysical properties of multiple asteroids in the main asteroid belt to analyse their surface evolution and history.

Mohsen Al Awadhi, Mission Director - Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt, said: “EMA’s national team includes graduates of the National Space Academy, one of the initiatives of the National Space Fund, which plays a pivotal role in enhancing the sustainability of national space programs and promoting human development.”

Quelle: TIMES AEROSPACE

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UAE mission to asteroid belt on course after design review

Spacecraft set for launch in 2028 is due to travel 5 billion kilometres in seven years

A UAE mission to an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter is on course after a review to assess its design, safety, risks, budget and schedule.

Engineers and scientists gathered at a three-day event in Abu Dhabi for the preliminary design review.

The mission includes the development of the MBR Explorer, named after Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.

The spacecraft, set for launch in 2028, will travel 5 billion kilometres over seven years to explore seven asteroids and attempt to land on the last one.

“The final phase of the mission’s design is more than just a technical step," said Salem Butti Al Qubaisi, director general of the UAE Space Agency.

"It reflects our strategic vision and continuous development to support the achievement of the mission’s scientific goals and enhance our position as pioneers in this vital sector.”

The review helped to confirm the project's feasibility and a readiness to proceed to the next phase of development.

The mission

The celestial bodies the UAE spacecraft will explore are 10253 Westerwald, 623 Chimaera, 13294 Rockox, 88055, 23871, 59980 and a mysterious reddish-coloured asteroid called Justitia.

The MBR Explorer will pass by Venus, Mars and Earth to reach the asteroid belt.

Scientists are fascinated by the asteroid belt because it contains remnants of the solar system and could give clues as to how Earth and other planets were formed.

The mission could also lay the ground for future asteroid resource extraction, with the asteroid belt reportedly containing $700 quintillion worth of minerals such as iron, gold and nickel.

The agency is working with the domestic and international private sector to develop the spacecraft and mission goals.

UAE companies will lead the design of the vehicle that, it is hoped, will land on Justitia by 2034, including space engineering and consultancy firm 971Space and Sadeem Space Solutions.

Justitia is of interest to scientists because of its mysterious appearance. While most asteroids are bluish, this one has a reddish hue, with possible origins from our solar system.

Engineers have been studying the asteroid to help them plan a route.

The observations helped to measure its size, orbit and albedo – how much light is reflected by its surface – with findings to be released at a later date.

Domestic and international universities and space organisations, including Khalifa University, New York University Abu Dhabi, Yahsat and the Italian Space Agency, are joining forces for the mission.

The University of Colorado Boulder is also participating, helping the UAE to develop its Mars mission.

Quelle: The National