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UAE welcomes new direction as Nasa pauses Gateway lunar project
Nasa will pause the Gateway project as a standalone lunar station and focus on building a Moon base for a permanent human presence on the lunar surface
- PUBLISHED: Fri 27 Mar 2026, 6:48 PM UPDATED: Fri 27 Mar 2026, 6:53 PM
Just days after NASA announced a pause on its Gateway lunar space project, the UAE has welcomed the move and reiterated its long-term commitment to space exploration. On Friday, the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) confirmed that it will continue collaborating with NASA, underscoring its ambitions to advance the nation’s lunar capabilities.
“Following NASA's recent announcements on establishing a sustained lunar presence, MBRSC reaffirms that its engagement with the Artemis programme and partnership with NASA continue, as it advances its own lunar capabilities with a clear sense of purpose,” read the statement.
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“The UAE has made a long-term commitment to space exploration, and that is reflected in what the Centre is building and where it is headed. This is a significant moment in the history of lunar exploration, and the UAE will continue to be a part of it and move forward in a manner that reflects the ambitions of this nation," it added.
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NASA’s announcement on Tuesday outlined a new phased approach to lunar development. The agency will pause the Gateway project as a standalone lunar station and instead focus on building a moon base designed to support a permanent human presence on the lunar surface.
The UAE has already been deeply involved in the Gateway project. In 2024, MBRSC revealed that it would develop and operate the Emirates Airlock — a module enabling astronauts to perform spacewalks, transfer research and crew, and serve as an additional docking port for spacecraft.
New moon base strategy
The new strategy, which comes under NASA’s new administrator Jared Isaacman who took charge in December, will see the agency take on the ambitious project of building a settlement on the moon for astronauts to live and work more permanently.
To be rolled out in three phases, the project aims to transition from periodic expeditions to a continuous presence of humans on the moon and NASA will spend approximately $20 billion over the next seven years.
Among other projects, Isaacman also announced the 2028 Mars mission, which will put nuclear electric propulsion technology to use in space for the first time. Unlike conventional spacecraft that rely on solar panels or chemical propulsion, the Space Reactor-1 Freedom will generate its own power through a nuclear fission reactor, converting that energy into thrust through advanced electric propulsion systems.
