The UAE has unveiled an ambitious space project named ‘MBR Explorer’ that will send a spacecraft on a seven-year journey to explore the main belt asteroids between Mars and Jupiter. The spacecraft, named after Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, will travel a distance 10 times greater than the country’s previous mission to Mars.
The mission aims to advance space science and technology and foster the development of Emirati companies in the field. The spacecraft will investigate seven asteroids and land on the last one in 2034.
The project also seeks to understand the origin of asteroids, the source of Earth’s water, and evaluate asteroids as potential resources for future missions. The MBR Explorer will carry four scientific instruments to study the composition and structure of asteroids.
The mission involves collaborations with academic institutions and local and global partners in the private sector.
