Fifty-six years after Neil Armstrong’s historic first step on the Moon, Nasa is leading the drive to send astronauts to the lunar surface once more, though it is feared at the expense of its own scientific programmes.
The agency is marking Moon Day on July 20, the anniversary of the famous Apollo 11 landing, as it navigates a period of transition without a Senate-confirmed administrator.
While US President Donald Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' secures funding for Artemis, Nasa’s flagship Moon exploration programme, the White House spending plan slashes the budget for the agency’s Earth science, astrophysics and planetary research divisions by nearly half.
Scientists and space policy experts told The National that the US is sacrificing some of its most ambitious scientific projects to keep the lunar return on track.
Dr Gordon Osinski, an Earth sciences professor at the Western University in Ontario, Canada, and a geology team member for Artemis III, said he is concerned about the long-term effect these cuts could have.
“While Artemis II appears to be on schedule for a spring 2026 launch, I am concerned about US budget cuts, the big exodus of senior Nasa employees and what this means for returning humans to the surface of the Moon in the Artemis III mission,” he said.
Some Nasa employees are set to hold a protest on Moon Day in Washington DC in a bid to save the agency's science divisions.
"We're fighting for science, engineering and exploration," the protest website reads. "Tell Congress to push back on the 2025 Presidential Budget Request that cuts Nasa science by 47 per cent, Stem education by 100 per cent, and Nasa's full budget by 25 per cent."
Artemis boost but science takes hit
The Trump administration has made crewed exploration a centrepiece of its space agenda.
The 'Big Beautiful Bill', signed into law on July 4, features billions of dollars in additional funding for the Space Launch System, Orion capsule and Lunar Gateway projects.
But the White House's proposed budget cuts would reshape programmes in favour of crewed exploration, slashing funding for climate monitoring satellites, planetary missions such as the Mars Sample Return and major space telescopes in development.
Dr Dimitra Atri, scientist at NYUAD, said current space policy lacks the clarity and consistency that helped propel the Apollo missions.
“The public’s relationship with space exploration has changed dramatically since Apollo’s collective wonder in 1969,” he said.
“Today’s achievements, while technically sophisticated, struggle to capture that same imagination, especially when delays and setbacks dominate headlines.
“Apollo went from [US president John F] Kennedy’s 1961 announcement to lunar landing in eight years, while Artemis has spent over a decade working to return astronauts to lunar orbit, something we accomplished 50 years ago with far less capabilities.”
Nasa has been a global leader in explorative space science for decades, responsible for some of the most ground-breaking missions in history.
The Hubble Space Telescope, for example, revolutionised astronomy by capturing deep-space images that reshaped our understanding of the universe.
Nasa's fleet of Mars rovers, including Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity and Perseverance, uncovered evidence of past water activity and potential habitability on the Red Planet.
The James Webb Space Telescope, launched in 2021, is offering unprecedented views of the early universe and distant exoplanets.
On Earth, the Terra and Aqua satellites have played a key role in monitoring climate change.
Rising global competition
While Nasa deals with the reshaping of its programmes, other countries are making steady progress with their Moon plans and scientific space missions.
China completed the first lunar far side sample return with its Chang’e-6 mission and is planning a crewed Moon landing before 2030.
Fifty-four countries are part of the US-led Artemis Accords, an international agreement on peaceful and transparent lunar exploration.
Dr Osinski said Moon Day should remind the world of the value of international co-operation and science-driven exploration.
“Moon Day is an excellent way to focus the world’s attention on the past, present and future of lunar exploration,” he said.
“While its date is based on the first US landing on the surface of the Moon, it has grown to represent much more than this and to be a global celebration.
“International collaboration is key to space exploration and so Moon Day can provide some sorely needed inspiration and an example of the good that can come about when countries work with each other, not against.”
Shift to commercial space
Nasa’s increasing reliance on commercial partners is also shaping how it now approaches exploration.
SpaceX’s Starship is central to Artemis III’s landing plan and Axiom Space is developing the new generation of lunar spacesuits.
Dave Barnhart, chief executive of California space infrastructure company Arkisys, said the rise of commercial space is a natural evolution, one that can benefit science in the long run.
“Nasa was the pioneer to create the environment for commercial cargo to the ISS, which is now leading to development of commercial space stations,” he said.
“Likewise, they contracted several companies to lead new vehicle development and test flights to the Moon, which has encouraged true investment.”
He said that even if Nasa’s scientific leadership weakens in the short term, global and private-sector collaboration could generate even greater returns.
“We are going to gain far more than just what one government organisation could apply to the problems,” he said.
Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
Penguin
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Match info:
Real Betis v Sevilla, 10.45pm (UAE)
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more from Janine di Giovanni
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
the pledge
I pledge to uphold the duty of tolerance
I pledge to take a first stand against hate and injustice
I pledge to respect and accept people whose abilities, beliefs and culture are different from my own
I pledge to wish for others what I wish for myself
I pledge to live in harmony with my community
I pledge to always be open to dialogue and forgiveness
I pledge to do my part to create peace for all
I pledge to exercise benevolence and choose kindness in all my dealings with my community
I pledge to always stand up for these values: Zayed's values for tolerance and human fraternity
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The%20Iron%20Claw
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Fanney Khan
Producer: T-Series, Anil Kapoor Productions, ROMP, Prerna Arora
Director: Atul Manjrekar
Cast: Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Rajkummar Rao, Pihu Sand
Rating: 2/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The Byblos iftar in numbers
29 or 30 days – the number of iftar services held during the holy month
50 staff members required to prepare an iftar
200 to 350 the number of people served iftar nightly
160 litres of the traditional Ramadan drink, jalab, is served in total
500 litres of soup is served during the holy month
200 kilograms of meat is used for various dishes
350 kilograms of onion is used in dishes
5 minutes – the average time that staff have to eat
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
