Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center announces the success of a new series of tests on the Rashid 2 explorer

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center announced its success in completing a new series of tests on the Rashid 2 explorer in the United States of America, in cooperation with Firefly Aerospace, as part of the ongoing preparations to launch a new mission, within the Emirates Lunar Exploration Project, to the far side of the moon in 2026.

The comprehensive tests included examining the electrical, mechanical and software systems between the rover and Firefly Aerospace’s BlueGhost lunar lander to ensure integration between the two rovers, in addition to radio communication performance tests between the rover and the rover. The Emirates Lunar Exploration Project team also worked side by side with Firefly engineers to carry out experiments with the explorer exiting the vehicle to ensure the success of the process of landing the Rashid 2 explorer on the surface of the moon, and to ensure that it can adapt to various conditions and scenarios.

These tests are an essential step to verify the efficiency of integration between the Rashid 2 explorer and the lunar lander, ensuring that operations are carried out smoothly during the trip to the moon and after reaching its surface.

Dr. Hamad Al Marzouqi, Director of the Emirates Lunar Exploration Project at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center, said: “These tests are an essential step to ensure complete integration between the systems of the Rashid 2 explorer and the lunar lander. Our cooperation with Firefly Aerospace reflects a shared commitment to precision and innovation, with the aim of achieving the scientific and technical objectives of the mission according to the highest standards of efficiency and reliability. The Rashid 2 explorer embodies the spirit of determination and creativity of our engineers, and represents a continuation of the UAE’s journey to contribute to the efforts of Exploring the moon globally through pioneering scientific and cognitive progress.”

Rashid 2 will be sent to the far side of the Moon aboard Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander. Rashid 2 will join the Blue Ghost 2 mission in 2026, which will be Firefly Aerospace’s second lunar mission after Blue Ghost 1, along with payloads from Australia, the European Space Agency and NASA.

The Rashid 2 explorer will be equipped with a set of advanced scientific devices to study geology and thermal conditions, in addition to analyzing soil properties and temperature changes, as well as the envelope of photoelectrons on the moon’s surface, which will contribute to supporting efforts to take advantage of the resources available on the moon’s surface, and paving the way for deeper exploration into space.

For her part, Farah Zubairy, Director of Spacecraft Mission Management at Firefly, said: “We are proud to have the Rashid 2 Explorer, affiliated with the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, join the Blue Ghost 2 mission, which has become an international mission representing countries from all over the world. Now, after the Rashid 2 Explorer was successfully delivered and tested in our clean room, we are a big step closer to transporting it to the surface of the Moon and discovering new insights into its far side.”

It is worth noting that the Emirates Moon Exploration Project is funded by the ICT Sector Development Fund of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), as part of its support for research and development in the ICT sector in the UAE.