In a momentous announcement that will undoubtedly propel the UAE's space exploration programme to new heights, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, has unveiled the Rashid Rover 2 - the UAE's second mission to the moon. The announcement comes in the wake of the hard landing of the spacecraft that was carrying the Rashid Rover 1 to the moon.
The Rashid Rover 1, hailed as the first Emirati lunar mission under the UAE Moon Exploration Programme, was built over a period of six years by a team of 11 scientists. It was placed inside the Japanese lunar lander named Hakuto-R Mission 1. Unfortunately, Japan's ispace lost contact with the spacecraft just moments before its touchdown, rendering the mission unsuccessful.
Undeterred by this setback, HH Sheikh Mohammed announced the launch of the Rashid Rover 2 project during his visit to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). He also expressed his firm commitment to continue launching new space exploration missions and striving for ever-greater aspirations.
"We may not have succeeded in landing the explorer Rashid 1 on the moon, but we have succeeded in raising the ceiling of our ambitions. We have succeeded in creating a team of young men and women capable of managing advanced space projects. We have succeeded in building a space sector from scratch within 10 years," said HH Sheikh Mohammed.
He also added, "Today, explorer Rashid 1 is on the surface of the moon, carrying the flag of the Emirates. From today, work will begin on Rashid 2, a new explorer, for a new attempt to reach the moon. We are a country founded on ambition, and we are a country that has not stopped since 2nd December, 1971. We will not stop. We will not turn around. We will not set small goals for ourselves. The next is more beautiful, greater, and more daring, God willing!"
The UAE's ambitious space exploration programme, as embodied by the Rashid Rovers, is a testament to the country's unwavering commitment to scientific progress and innovation. With HH Sheikh Mohammed at the helm, the nation is poised to achieve even greater heights in the years to come.
