Mohammed bin Rashid announces Rashid 2 new Emirati lunar mission

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, accompanied by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, visited the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre and met with the team behind the UAE’s first attempt to land a rover on the lunar surface. Stressing the importance of determination in achieving success in the space industry, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said the UAE will continue to launch new space exploration missions.

His Highness noted that though the attempt to land the Rashid Rover on the moon was unsuccessful, “we kept our aspirations high.”

“Emiratis have proved their ability to develop advanced space projects and rapidly create a vibrant national space sector,” he further said. “The UAE built a space sector from scratch within just 10 years. The Rashid Rover mission was driven by the country’s ambitious vision for space exploration,” His Highness added.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed said that any space mission has to contend with high levels of risk, which it manages in a scientific and systematic way to advance exploration and experimentation.

Sheikh Hamdan said the UAE will continue to develop its expertise and build an advanced space sector. Interacting with the MBRSC team, he said, “Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid once said ‘The biggest risk in life is not taking any risk’.”

Noting that the UAE is poised to enter a new phase of space exploration, he said, “Today, under the directives and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, we announce the launch of the Rashid 2 project, a new Emirati attempt to reach the moon.”

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed met with the national team of the Emirates Lunar Mission (ELM) after the iSpace confirmed the unsuccessful landing of the HAKUTO-R lander on Wednesday 25th April, 2023.