Sheikh Hamdan attends unveiling of UAE-built probe for asteroid belt mission
In short
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Supreme Space Council, witnessed the unveiling of the probe for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt. The probe was developed, assembled and tested in the UAE and reached flight readiness in less than two years; it will fly on the MBR Explorer on a journey of about 5 billion km to explore seven asteroids, ending at 269 Justitia. Arabian Business reported the mission is planned for a 2028 launch, a date the other documents do not give.
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Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Supreme Space Council, witnessed the unveiling of the probe for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA), according to WAM, Gulf News and Emirates 24|7. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The probe was developed, assembled and tested in the UAE and reached flight readiness in less than two years from the signing of the development agreement, the three outlets reported. WAM and Gulf News said the work was carried out by a national team of more than 150 specialised engineers and scientists, and Sheikh Hamdan commended the scientists, engineers, researchers, national entities and companies that contributed. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The probe will be carried on board the MBR Explorer spacecraft as part of the UAE's second interplanetary mission, on a journey of approximately 5 billion km to explore seven asteroids and culminating at 269 Justitia, the documents said. Emirates 24|7 reported that at 269 Justitia the probe will separate from the spacecraft and descend autonomously to the asteroid's surface; the other documents describe the asteroid only as the mission's seventh and final destination. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
In remarks carried by all three reports, Sheikh Hamdan said: “Guided by the vision of our leadership, the UAE has progressed in just a few years from aspiring to reach space to actively contributing to shaping its future.” He cited the establishment of the UAE Space Agency in 2014, the launch of satellites, the Hope Probe's orbit around Mars, Emirati astronauts on the International Space Station and continuing lunar missions. He added that in 2014 Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Emirates Mars Mission, and said the UAE had in less than two decades established its position among the world's leading spacefaring nations. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Arabian Business reported the mission ahead of a planned 2028 launch, describing an asteroid probe ready for flight in under two years for a 5 billion km mission to explore seven asteroids. That launch timing does not appear in the reports by Emirates 24|7, Gulf News or WAM. [ 4 ]
Why it matters
The unveiling is the latest step in a space programme that UAE officials present as a national capability effort: the probe was developed, assembled and tested domestically, and WAM and Gulf News said a team of more than 150 specialised engineers and scientists worked on it. The mission's final stage, an autonomous descent to asteroid 269 Justitia as described by Emirates 24|7, would extend UAE activity beyond orbit and fly-bys if carried out. Only one document mentions a launch date, so the schedule for that stage remains unconfirmed in the coverage.
Key facts
- Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Supreme Space Council, witnessed the unveiling of the probe for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA). [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The probe was developed, assembled and tested in the UAE and reached flight readiness in less than two years from the signing of the development agreement. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- According to Gulf News and WAM, a national team of more than 150 specialised engineers and scientists took part in the development. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The probe will be carried on board the MBR Explorer spacecraft as part of the UAE's second interplanetary mission. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The mission covers approximately 5 billion km and will explore seven asteroids, culminating at 269 Justitia, described as the seventh and final destination. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Emirates 24|7 reported that at 269 Justitia the probe will separate from the spacecraft and descend autonomously to the asteroid's surface. [ 1 ]
- Arabian Business reported the mission is planned for a 2028 launch. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed witnessed the unveiling of the EMA probe, an event reported by the state news agency WAM as well as by Gulf News and Emirates 24|7. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The probe was developed, assembled and tested in the UAE. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The probe reached the flight readiness stage in less than two years. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The probe will be carried on board the MBR Explorer, the UAE's second interplanetary mission, on a journey of about 5 billion km to explore seven asteroids, culminating at 269 Justitia. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- A national team of more than 150 specialised engineers and scientists worked on the development, according to Gulf News and WAM. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- When the mission will launch Only Arabian Business, in a feed summary, refers to a planned 2028 launch; Emirates 24|7, Gulf News and WAM do not give a launch date.
- Whether the probe will separate from the spacecraft and descend autonomously to the surface of 269 Justitia This detail appears only in Emirates 24|7 and is not repeated by the other documents.
- The schedule and duration of the journey to the seven asteroids None of the documents states timings for the mission's stages beyond the roughly 5 billion km distance.