Sheikh Hamdan announces huge new UAE space mission
Another first for the UAE…
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, has just announced an agreement that will pave the way for the first Emirati Arab astronaut to enter lunar orbit.
In a post shared on social media platform X (previously, Twitter), the Crown Price stated that he attended a ‘signing of a cooperation agreement with Thales Alenia Space’ which marks a ‘major step towards realising 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.’
I was delighted to attend the signing of a cooperation agreement with Thales Alenia Space, 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 realising the UAE’s space exploration goals,… pic.twitter.com/EgH7m0B21P
— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) February 4, 2025
Sheikh Hamdan added that ‘the 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 Centre (MBRSC) will spearhead the UAE’s involvement in the project. Sheikh Hamdan also highlighted that the partnership is a ‘vital step toward establishing humanity’s permanent presence on the Moon and enabling future planetary missions.’
He ended the social media post stating he is proud to join forces with ‘the United States, Japan, Canada, and the European Union – to push the frontiers of discovery and exploration.’
During the signing, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE were also present.
*UAE mega projects that will change the world in the next 100 years*
Reaching for the stars…
The UAE has made some huge leaps in the field of space exploration in the past few years. And it is showing no signs of stopping with a number of huge mega projects in the pipeline.
Earlier in January 2025, the UAE was in the news for another hugely successful mission with the launch of MBZSAT. MBZSAT was onboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which successfully shot off to space on January 14, 2025, from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 11.09pm (UAE time).
The satellite project was initially announced in 2020 by the Ruler of Dubai, named in honour of the UAE’s President, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The satellite, currently in orbit, is equipped with a high-tech ‘automated system for arranging images round-the-clock, ensuring that it provides the highest quality standards of satellite images intended for commercial use globally.’ It is operated and managed by the Mission Control Centre at MBRSC.
MBZ-SAT represents a quantum leap in the UAE’s space exploration endeavours.
You can read more about it here.