The UAE’s next goal in space is to place an Emirati astronaut on the surface of the Moon within 10 years, the chief of the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre said.
Salem Al Marri, director general of the centre, said at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Wednesday that activities on the Moon would help pave the way for Mars missions.
“What drives me, and I think drives a lot of people at the MBRSC, is that we want to see an Emirati on the surface of the Moon within the next 10 years,” Mr Al Marri said.
“And I think we will do everything that we can to make sure that happens.”
Reaching for the stars
The Emirates has made significant strides in the global space race in recent years. Hazza Al Mansouri made history in September, 2019 by becoming the first Emirati to venture into space, while Sultan Al Neyadi broke new ground in March 2023 when chosen to be the first Arab astronaut to carry out a long-duration journey through space.
The UAE signed up with Nasa to contribute a key component of the US-led Gateway, a Moon-orbiting station, in exchange for sending an Emirati to the station.
That agreement, however, only guarantees the country access to the station and a separate deal would have to be made for landing an Emirati to the lunar surface.
SpaceX and Blue Origin are developing landing vehicles that would transport humans to the surface from the Gateway station.
First the Moon, then Mars
Mr Al Marri, who was speaking on the Geotechnology and Police Forum panel by the Atlantic Council, said Mars was the “overall objective” for going to the Moon.
“The global exploration road map is going towards exploring Mars, eventually having humans there and sample return. And we, of course, with our Mars 2117 programme, that's what we're looking at,” he said.
“However, to achieve those objectives, we can do a lot around the Moon, and we think the Moon is key. This is why most of our missions, I would say 70 per cent of them, focus on missions around the Moon.”
The UAE had announced Mars 2117 in 2017, an ambitious project that aims to form a human settlement on the Red Planet within 100 years.
Space industry trends could be shifting towards Mars instead of a heavy focus on the Moon, with billionaire Elon Musk campaigning to make humans “a multiplanetary species”.
He said last month on social media platform X, which he owns, that the “Moon was a distraction” and that “we are going straight to Mars”.
His campaigning was echoed in US President Donald Trump’s inauguration speech, in which he said that he wants to see an American flag on the Red Planet.
Mr Al Marri said that the space centre “can do both” – missions to the Moon and Mars.
“The Moon is very important – it’s closer, it's a bit easier to get to. It's somewhere where a lot of testing can happen, and then that can then shift and go towards Mars.
“We can work on both at the same time. In the more immediate next five years, we're focusing on Moon and then Mars will, of course, be part of that, because whatever you're developing for the Moon can then go and shift there.”
Nasa is designing its Gateway in a way so that astronauts can head to Mars before making a stop at the Moon-orbiting station.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Scoreline
Australia 2-1 Thailand
Australia: Juric 69', Leckie 86'
Thailand: Pokklaw 82'
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Teaching in coronavirus times
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: SimpliFi
Started: August 2021
Founder: Ali Sattar
Based: UAE
Industry: Finance, technology
Investors: 4DX, Rally Cap, Raed, Global Founders, Sukna and individuals
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Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
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Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')
Morocco 0
The biogs
Name: Zinah Madi
Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and links
Nationality: Syrian
Family: Married, Mother of Tala, 18, Sharif, 14, Kareem, 2
Favourite Quote: “There is only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything.”
Name: Razan Nabulsi
Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and Links
Nationality: Jordanian
Family: Married, Mother of Yahya, 3.5
Favourite Quote: A Chinese proverb that says: “Be not afraid of moving slowly, be afraid only of standing still.”
The biog
Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer
Marital status: Single
Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran
Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food
Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish
Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com
Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228
