Sheikh Hamdan: UAE Asteroid Mission Probe Achieves Flight Readiness In Less Than 2 Years

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The UAE has unveiled the probe for its ambitious mission to explore the asteroid belt, with Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum highlighting how the probe has achieved flight readiness in less than two years.

In a message on X, Sheikh Hamdan said the probe had been“developed, assembled and tested in the UAE” and had achieved flight readiness in a couple of years, while stressing on the growing role of Emirati engineers and scientists in the country's space programme.

Recommended For You

The Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA) is set to send the MBR Explorer on a 5-billion-kilometre journey to study seven asteroids. The mission is scheduled to launch in 2028 and will use gravity-assist manoeuvres around Venus, Earth and Mars to reach the main asteroid belt beyond Mars.“Today, more than 150 engineers and scientists are working as one national team on a mission that will travel around 5 billion kilometres to explore 7 asteroids,” Sheikh Hamdan said.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. UAE space sector valued at more than Dh44 billion

Sheikh Hamdan also pointed to the economic growth of the UAE's space sector, saying it is now valued at more than Dh44 billion.“By 2031, we aim to double the returns of the space economy and establish the UAE among the world's top 10 space economies,” he said.

The asteroid mission has been designed not only as a scientific exploration programme but also as a vehicle for developing the UAE's private space sector, academic capabilities and advanced technology ecosystem.

The UAE Space Agency says 50 per cent of the project's work has been allocated to UAE-based private sector companies, with the mission expected to create opportunities for startups, international partnerships and investment in the country's space industry.

The 13-year mission comprises a six-year spacecraft development phase followed by a seven-year journey through the main asteroid belt. The MBR Explorer is expected to conduct close flybys of six asteroids before reaching the seventh, Justitia, where it will deploy a lander to collect data from the asteroid's surface.

Mission to study origins of asteroids, solar system

The mission is expected to provide scientists with data on the composition, geology, density, temperature and other properties of asteroids, while helping researchers better understand the formation and evolution of the solar system.

The UAE Space Agency has also identified the potential resource value of water-rich asteroids as an area of study, including the possibility of using asteroid resources in future space exploration.

For the UAE, however, the mission is also about building capabilities at home.

Sheikh Hamdan said,“We are proud of Emirati minds turning ambitious aspirations into achievements, and we continue to invest in people, knowledge and technology to shape a new future for the UAE in space.”

MENAFN04102026000049011007ID1111757349