UAE: Rashid Rover’s moon landing date announced

Abu Dhabi: A Japanese spacecraft carrying the United Arab Emirates’ Rashid Rover – the Arab region’s first mission to the Moon – is scheduled to land on the moon on Tuesday, April 25 at 8:40 pm UAE time.

Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) on Wednesday took to Twitter and wrote, “The landing date and time of the HAKUTO-R lander, carrying aboard the Rashid Rover, on the surface of the Moon, is set for April 25 at 8.40pm (UAE time).”

“The date is subject to change depending on the mission’s operations. Alternative landing dates are April 26, May 1, and 3 May,” MBRSC added.

Built by an Emirati team at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC), the Rashid rover has spent more than four months in space since its launch on December 11, 2022.

The rover was sent into space from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

The spacecraft entered lunar orbit on March 21 and has since been gradually approaching the surface.

MBRSC further said that the Rashid Rover is currently orbiting the Moon at an altitude of about 100 km at perilune (periapsis – the points in the orbit that is closest to the center of the moon) and about 2,300 km at apolune (apoapsis – the points in the orbit farthest to the center).

At around 7:40 pm on April 25, the lander carrying the Rashid Rover will perform multiple orbit control maneuvers to reach a 100km circular orbit around the Moon before starting the landing sequence.

During the landing sequence, the lander will perform a braking burn, firing its main propulsion system to decelerate from orbit. Utilizing a series of pre-set commands, the lander will adjust its altitude and reduce velocity to make a soft landing on the confirmed site of Atlas Crater in the Mare Frigoris.

Before landing, the team will prepare by participating in 12 simulated rehearsals at ground stations.

On the surface of the moon, the rover will conduct scientific tests that are expected to contribute to qualitative developments in the fields of science, communication technologies, and robotics.

The mission’s primary goal is to study lunar plasma and provide answers about lunar dust, the lunar surface, the movement of the moon and how different surfaces interact with lunar particles.

The rover will also send back images and collect data on lunar soil and dust once it reaches the lunar surface.