Sheikh Hamdan unveils UAE asteroid probe ahead of 2028 launch

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence, witnessed the unveiling of the probe for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA) on Sunday, 4 October. The spacecraft has reached the flight readiness stage less than two years after its development agreement was signed in January 2025. Interplanetary Mission Logistics The probe is a central component of the MBR Explorer spacecraft, which is scheduled for launch from Japan in the first quarter of 2028. The mission involves a 5-billion-kilometre journey to explore seven asteroids in the main belt. The mission will culminate at 269 Justitia, where the probe will separate from the main spacecraft to perform an autonomous descent to the asteroid’s surface. Scientists believe 269 Justitia may contain organic materials and water, providing data on the early formation of the solar system. A national team of more than 150 Emirati engineers and scientists developed the probe through a partnership between the UAE Space Agency and the Technology Innovation Institute (TII). The project also involved Khalifa University, the National Space Science and Technology Center at UAE University, and international startup HEX20. Economic Targets and Strategic Integration The UAE has invested Dh44 billion in its space sector over the past decade. Sheikh Hamdan confirmed that the National Space Strategy 2031 aims to double the returns of the space economy and increase its added…