Sheikh Hamdan announces new space exploration plans.

The United Arab Emirates has been hitting new heights with its space exploration programme. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, has announced a mission to send the first Emirati astronaut into lunar orbit.   

The UAE has created a joint venture with the French technology company, Thales Alenia Space, and Italian defence company, Leonardo. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre will be central to the UAE’s involvement in the project.

The Gateway lunar space station is key to NASA’s Artemis programme and will be the first space station to orbit the Moon. It will also host astronauts for extended periods and support studies and future missions to Mars.

Sheikh Hamdan explains: “This partnership is a major step towards realising the UAE’s space exploration goals, with Thales Alenia Space becoming a strategic partner in the country’s role in the Lunar Gateway Space Station. This trailblazing project will usher in a new era of human space exploration, paving the way for the first Emirati Arab astronaut to enter lunar orbit.

“The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre spearheads the UAE’s involvement in this project, which represents a vital step toward establishing humanity’s permanent presence on the Moon and enabling future planetary missions. We are proud to join forces with our international partners – the United States, Japan, Canada, and the European Union – to push the frontiers of discovery and exploration”. 

On 28 April 2023, Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi became the first Arab astronaut to spacewalk. He helped make the UAE the tenth country to perform a spacewalk and the 262nd person to do so. Spacewalks, known as Extravehicular Activity, are crucial for maintaining the International Space Station.

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GO: Visit https://space.gov.ae for more information.