On December 11, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, bringing the first Arab-built moon probe into orbit.
The Rashid Rover was manufactured by Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is being delivered by the Japanese lunar exploration corporation ispace’s HAKUTO-R lander. If the landing is successful, HAKUTO-R will be the first commercial spacecraft to land on the moon in a controlled manner.
The mission will go to the moon via a low-energy approach and is expected to arrive in April 2023. Once there, the rover will undertake its primary activities on the surface for one lunar day (equal to 14.75 days on Earth). It will spend a second lunar day doing secondary activities to determine if the rover can withstand the harsh nighttime environment on the moon before deactivation.
