Emirati engineers have begun work on the first Arab mission to the Moon – a landmark project that is expected to contribute to global efforts to build a lunar space station.
The engineering model for the Rashid rover, a 10 kilogram robotic machine, are being designed and will be finalised next year.
US space agency Nasa is leading the Lunar Gateway project that will see the establishment of a human base on the Moon to make deep space missions possible, particularly sending astronauts to Mars.
This is a shared goal by the UAE, which plans to send Emirati astronauts to the Red Planet and build a city there by the year 2117.
“Why the Moon?” Adnan Al Rais, programme director of Mars 2117, asked during a media briefing on Sunday. “The global exploration road map which was set by international agencies agreed that in order to send future missions to Mars, we need to first send humans to the Moon through a project called Lunar Gateway.
“Developing those technologies will help us in future to reach our goal. The UAE is contributing with this robotic mission that will be launched.”
Mr Al Rais said Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre is yet to sign a contract with a launch service provider to send Rashid to space in 2024. Nasa’s crewed Artemis mission will also launch in 2024 and aims to put the first woman and next man on the lunar surface. Artemis 1, an unmanned mission to the Moon, is launching in 2021 as an initial step towards that goal.
Nasa has previously encouraged nations to invest in the project and "get a ride" on the 2024 mission However, it is not yet confirmed if UAE has signed any agreements.
So far, Japan, Italy and Australia have invested in Nasa’s efforts to establish a human base on the Moon.
Scientific contribution
The results of the Emirates Lunar Mission will likely contribute to the international goal of establishing a lunar space station. It will be the Emirates’ first robotic landing mission on another celestial body and the rover will be developed in the UAE by Emirati engineers.
Rashid will study the lunar surface soil, thermal properties of the surface structure and lunar photoelectron sheath.
“Studying lunar dust will help develop technologies for future missions,” said Dr Hamad Al Marzooqi, project director of the mission.
Strengths and weaknesses of different materials against lunar particles will also be measured to help engineers and scientists develop technology needed for more complex missions on the Moon.
Because of the harsh lunar surface, Rashid will also study mobility and help determine what hi-tech solutions are needed for smoother transportation.
Emirati scientists are currently studying unexplored regions of the Moon and where Rashid could potentially land.
“There were a handful of missions that were sent, but it will study new territories where we can provide valuable scientific data to the international community,” said Dr Al Marzooqi.
Challenges ahead
More than 55 per cent of Moon landing missions have failed and only the US, China and the Soviet Union have been able to land rovers there.
UAE could become the fourth country to achieve the feat, however, Japan is planning to send a lander to the Moon by 2022.
“It’s very challenging to land a mission on the lunar surface,” said Dr Al Marzooqi. “This is one of the key challenges we’d have to overcome to have a successful mission.”
He said the extreme environment on the lunar surface also poses a challenge, as temperatures can drop to -173°C.
Hi-tech rover
To survive the Moon's unstable terrains, Rashid will be equipped with four durable wheels.
The rover will have four cameras, of which two will capture high-resolution images and assist with navigation.
The third camera will be microscopic to capture close-ups of lunar dust and the final camera will study thermal properties on the surface.
Rashid will also have a Langmuir probe, which will measure temperature of electrons, electron density and electric potential of a plasma.
An inertial measurement unit will track the rover’s movements.
Creating jobs and partnerships
The UAE’s ambitious plan to build a city on Mars by 2117 was a strategic move to guarantee jobs to Emiratis in Stem (science, technology, engineering and maths) for the next 100 years.
The Emirates Lunar Mission is one of several other projects launched to achieve the Martian city goal.
MBRSC is also working towards building a Mars simulation city in the Al Khawaneej area, close to where the space centre headquarters is located.
This July, the UAE launched the first Arab mission to Mars and the Hope orbiter is currently en route to the Red Planet.
Mr Al Rais said MBRSC will soon announce new partnerships and collaborations that have been made for joint work on the Moon mission.
Last month, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said more Emirati space missions will take place over the next decade.
MBRSC's 10-year plan also includes new satellite development centres, outer space simulation centre for astronaut training and more Emirati-built satellites.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Match info
Newcastle United 1
Joselu (11')
Tottenham Hotspur 2
Vertonghen (8'), Alli (18')
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Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Fixtures
Friday Leganes v Alaves, 10.15pm; Valencia v Las Palmas, 12.15am
Saturday Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad, 8.15pm; Girona v Atletico Madrid, 10.15pm; Sevilla v Espanyol, 12.15am
Sunday Athletic Bilbao v Getafe, 8.15am; Barcelona v Real Betis, 10.15pm; Deportivo v Real Madrid, 12.15am
Monday Levante v Villarreal, 10.15pm; Malaga v Eibar, midnight
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
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The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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LAST-16 FIXTURES
Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
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The five pillars of Islam
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LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Real Sociedad v Leganes (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Real Valladolid (4pm)
Valencia v Granada (7pm)
Eibar v Real Madrid (9.30pm)
Barcelona v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Sunday
Real Mallorca v Villarreal (3pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Levante (5pm)
Atletico Madrid v Espanyol (7pm)
Getafe v Osasuna (9.30pm)
Real Betis v Sevilla (midnight)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
