UAE nears historic Moon mission as Rashid Rover 2 heads to US for launch preparations

Engineers conducted solar panel performance tests, antenna and robotic arm deployment to replicate the stresses of launch, deceleration, and landing

The UAE is one step closer to exploring the far side of the Moon, with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) announcing it has finished building and testing the Rashid Rover 2 and dispatched it to the United States for its next phase.

The centre said the Emirates Lunar Mission’s rover successfully completed a series of environmental and functional tests in the UAE, marking the end of its development phase. It will now undergo launch preparations with Firefly Aerospace ahead of a mission to the far side of the Moon in 2026.

The mission follows a strategic agreement signed earlier this year between MBRSC and Firefly Aerospace, under which the company will provide the lunar lander to deploy the rover.

The testing campaign included Thermal Vacuum testing hosted by the French space agency CNES in Toulouse, followed by verification and validation activities in the UAE. Engineers conducted solar panel performance tests, antenna and robotic arm deployment under simulated lunar gravity, and vibration tests to replicate the stresses of launch, deceleration, and landing.

“These tests represent the final steps in the current phase of validating the rover’s readiness for the challenging lunar environment and the completion of its development,” MBRSC said.

Hamad Obaid AlMansoori, chairman of MBRSC, said the completion of Rashid Rover 2’s development “stands as a testament to our nation’s advancing capabilities in space science and technology”, adding that each milestone moves the mission closer to its objective on the far side of the Moon.

Salem Humaid AlMarri, director general of MBRSC, said the rover’s completion is “a decisive step in advancing the UAE’s ambitions for lunar exploration”, noting that the mission enters a frontier “few have explored”.

Project manager Hamad AlMarzooqi said the successful tests ensure the rover’s resilience and readiness for the journey ahead, with the team focused on validating every subsystem and achieving the mission’s scientific objectives.