The UAE has marked a new milestone in its space exploration efforts by signing a cooperation agreement with Thales Alenia Space.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, announced the partnership today which was signed in his presence and in the presence of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
“This partnership is a major step towards realizing the UAE’s space exploration goals, with Thales Alenia Space becoming a strategic partner in the country’s role in the Lunar Gateway Space Station,” stated Sheikh Hamdan in a post on social media platform X.
UAE to send first Emirati astronaut to Moon’s orbit
Sheikh Hamdan also noted that this trailblazing project will usher in a new era of human space exploration, paving the way for the first Emirati Arab astronaut to enter lunar orbit.
“The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center spearheads the UAE’s involvement in this project, which represents a vital step toward establishing humanity’s permanent presence on the Moon and enabling future planetary missions,” he added.
Sheikh Hamdan also expressed his pride in joining forces with key international partners including the United States, Japan, Canada and the European Union to push space exploration and advancement further.
Notably, Thales Alenia Space is a joint venture between French tech firm Thales Group and Italian defense company Leonardo. It is a global space manufacturer delivering high-tech solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth Observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures.
UAE advances space exploration efforts
In a bid to further expand its space sector, the UAE’s Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center signed last week a memorandum of understanding with SpaceData, a startup based in Tokyo that specializes in research and development aimed at merging the realms of space and digital technology.
This collaboration will establish two essential digital twin solutions. SpaceData will craft a high-fidelity lunar digital twin platform dedicated to space exploration, while also providing a detailed Earth-based digital twin platform to boost economic initiatives.
For the Emirates Lunar Mission, SpaceData will also create a simulation environment that utilizes MBRSC’s rover observation data, enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of forthcoming lunar explorations,
