The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has renewed its collaboration with the French space agency, CNES, to advance the Emirates Lunar Mission’s Rashid Rover 2, scheduled for launch in 2026.
The agreement reinforces a long-standing partnership and equips the UAE’s second lunar rover with cutting-edge technology to explore the far side of the Moon.
The partnership was formalised with a Memorandum of Understanding signed by H.E. Salem Humaid AlMarri, Director General of MBRSC, and Lionel Suchet, Executive Vice-President of CNES, during the World Space Business Week in Paris. Building on the first Rashid Rover, the new mission focuses on greater scientific output and technological innovation.
Under the agreement, CNES will provide two advanced cameras and a CASPEX module to capture high-resolution lunar imagery. The agency will also support image processing, ensuring data meets the highest scientific standards. Rashid Rover 2 has already undergone rigorous Thermal Vacuum testing in Toulouse to validate its performance in lunar conditions.
Earlier this year, MBRSC signed a strategic agreement with Firefly Aerospace to provide the lunar lander for deploying the rover on the far side of the Moon. This region’s harsh terrain and communication challenges make the mission a significant step in global lunar exploration.
Rashid Rover 2 will carry experiments on material adhesion to lunar dust, with results expected to influence future technologies such as spacesuits and surface infrastructure. It will also study lunar plasma, geology, thermal variations, and soil properties, while a radio transmitter will enable interaction with other payloads.
The Emirates Lunar Mission is funded by the ICT Fund of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, supporting national innovation in the space and ICT sectors.
News Source: Dubai Media Office
