E-Paper
Sign In
UAE asteroid mission probe achieves flight readiness in less than 2 years: Sheikh Hamdan
In 2028, Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt is set to send the MBR Explorer on a 5-billion-kilometre journey to study seven asteroids
- PUBLISHED: Sun 4 Oct 2026, 1:25 PM
The UAE has unveiled the probe for its ambitious Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA), with Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, highlighting how the spacecraft has reached flight readiness in less than two years.
The MBR Explorer is being developed, assembled and tested in the UAE, marking another step in the country’s growing space programme and its efforts to build homegrown expertise in deep-space missions.
Recommended For You
In a message on X, Sheikh Hamdan on Sunday said the achievement reflected the capabilities of the UAE’s scientists and engineers.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
“Today, more than 150 engineers and scientists are working as one national team on a mission that will travel around 5 billion kilometres to explore 7 asteroids.”
The mission is scheduled to launch from Japan in the first quarter of 2028. The spacecraft will use gravity-assist manoeuvres around Venus, Earth and Mars before reaching the main asteroid belt beyond Mars.
UAE builds deep-space expertise
Sheikh Hamdan said the UAE’s progress in space had moved beyond aspirations, pointing to the country’s increasingly ambitious missions and growing scientific capabilities.
“Guided by the vision of our leadership, the UAE has progressed in just a few years from aspiring to reach space to actively contributing to shaping its future,” he said.
“Since the establishment of the UAE Space Agency in 2014, the nation has developed an integrated national space ecosystem, launching satellites, placing the Hope Probe into orbit around Mars, and sending Emirati astronauts to the International Space Station.”
The latest mission is expected to strengthen that ecosystem by bringing together government entities, universities, research institutions and private companies.
The probe is being developed by the UAE Space Agency in collaboration with the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), HEX20, Khalifa University and the National Space Science and Technology Center at United Arab Emirates University.
The UAE Space Agency has said 50 per cent of the project's work has been allocated to UAE-based private-sector companies, creating opportunities for startups, partnerships and investment in the country’s space industry.
Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports and Chairman of the UAE Space Agency, said the probe’s progress demonstrated the capabilities being built across the national space sector.
“The probe reaching flight readiness reflects the advancement and capabilities of the UAE’s national space ecosystem and its ability to leverage ambitious missions to develop advanced technologies, strengthen integration between national institutions and companies, and develop specialised supply chains,” he said.
He added that the UAE would continue developing these capabilities under the National Space Strategy 2031.
5-billion-km journey to seven asteroids
The MBR Explorer will embark on an approximately 5-billion-kilometre journey to study seven asteroids. It will conduct close flybys of six before reaching its final destination, 269 Justitia.
At Justitia, the spacecraft will deploy a lander that will descend autonomously to the asteroid’s surface and collect data.
Scientists hope the mission will shed light on the composition, geology, density and temperature of asteroids and provide clues about the formation and evolution of the solar system.
Justitia is of particular scientific interest because it may have formed in the outer regions of the solar system before migrating into the main asteroid belt. Studying it could offer insights into how water and organic materials were distributed during the formation of the planets.
Faisal Al Bannai, Advisor to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology, Secretary General of the Advanced Technology Research Council and a member of the Supreme Space Council, said the mission showed how research could be converted into technology capable of operating deep in space.
“The EMA probe demonstrates what becomes possible when advanced research is translated into mission-ready engineering,” he said.
“Our teams at TII have developed a system designed to withstand extreme conditions, operate with exceptional precision, and deliver meaningful science billions of kilometres from Earth.”
The probe is scheduled to be integrated with the MBR Explorer at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder ahead of its planned 2028 launch.
UAE space economy exceeds Dh44 billion
For Sheikh Hamdan, the asteroid mission is also part of a wider push to expand the UAE’s space economy and create new opportunities for Emirati talent and advanced industries.
“The UAE’s space sector today exceeds Dh44 billion, and our ambitions for the next phase are even greater,” he said.
“By 2031, we aim to double the returns of the space economy, increase its added value by 60%, and position the UAE among the world’s top 10 space economies.”
The mission follows the UAE’s earlier milestones, including the Emirates Mars Mission and the Hope Probe, and comes as the country expands into lunar exploration and more complex interplanetary projects.
Sheikh Hamdan said, “In 2014, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Emirates Mars Mission. In less than two decades, the UAE has established its position among the world’s leading spacefaring nations,” he said.
“Today, we are entering a new phase of advanced scientific missions, space industries and technologies.”
The agreement to develop the EMA probe was signed in January 2025, when Sheikh Hamdan witnessed the signing between the UAE Space Agency and TII.
Since then, the project has progressed from its initial concept stage to flight readiness in less than two years.
Sheikh Hamdan said the achievement ultimately reflected the people behind the mission.
“We are proud of Emirati minds turning ambitious aspirations into achievements, and we continue to invest in people, knowledge and technology to shape a new future for the UAE in space.”
