UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi at the International Space Station. ARCHIVE

An Emirati astronaut will be the first Arab to be sent to the lunar orbit as part of a new space project involving the UAE. On Sunday (January 7), the UAE confirmed its participation in Nasa’s Lunar Gateway Station, the world’s first space station around the Moon. The UAE hopes that the project will pave the way for a UAE astronaut to land on the Moon by 2030. UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attended the launch of the Lunar Gateway. “Through our long-term investment in space exploration and scientific innovation, the UAE is determined to work alongside its international partners to enable collective progress for all,” Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said on his X account. The project will start immediately and is expected to be. The UAE will also establish a space operations centre in the country and a global centre for astronaut training. Sheikh Mohammed said the lunar space station will serve as a vital platform for future Mars missions. The Lunar Gateway will serve as a hub for astronauts on short-term missions, as well as for rovers and robotic missions. It also doubles as a space laboratory. The UAE is the fifth partner in this project, alongside the US, Canada, Japan and the European Union. The Lunar Gateway will have docking ports for visiting spacecraft, space for astronauts to live, work and prepare for lunar missions of up to 90 days, and for scientific research.

UAE eyes Moon landing

Meanwhile, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, said the Lunar Gateway project will also pave the way for a UAE astronaut to land on the Moon by 2030. “This project stands out as one of the most significant international endeavours in space exploration in the 21st century. As an integral part of this project, the first Emirati and Arab astronaut will journey to the Moon upon the project’s completion in 2030,” Sheikh Hamdan said. “Through this project, the UAE will play a vital role in bringing humans back to the Moon after a gap of over 50 years. The Gateway will serve as a launchpad for spacewalk missions around the Moon and future missions to Mars, embodying the spirit of Sheikh Zayed’s ambition and the boundless aspirations of our nation that knows the impossible is possible,” Sheikh Hamdan said. Last September, UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi completed his six-month mission at the International Space Station, creating records including the Arab world’s first extended space mission and also the first time that an Arab astronaut performed a spacewalk. ICA/Expat Media
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