The United Arab Emirates has unveiled a probe for its planned journey through the asteroid belt and says it has reached flight readiness. The mission still faces testing and a planned 2028 launch. Its proposed route includes six close asteroid passes and a lander for a seventh target, 269 Justitia, where measurements of the surface would come years later.
The United Arab Emirates unveiled a probe for its Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt on 4 October. Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed attended the event, reported by both Khaleej Times and Radio Shoma. He said the spacecraft had reached flight readiness after less than two years of development in the country. The unveiling marks a hardware stage: the probe has not launched, flown past an asteroid or returned measurements.[1], [2]
The UAE Space Agency plans to launch the MBR Explorer in the first quarter of 2028 from Japan. Its proposed route uses gravity assists at Venus, Earth and Mars before entering the main asteroid belt beyond Mars. Over a journey described as roughly five billion kilometres, the spacecraft is intended to pass close to six asteroids. The timing and route remain a plan until launch and flight operations actually occur.[1]
The seventh planned destination is the asteroid 269 Justitia, where a lander would descend autonomously and collect surface data. The mission aims to study asteroid composition, geology, density and temperature. One question concerns whether Justitia formed farther out in the Solar System before moving into the main belt; the mission has not tested that idea. The probe was developed, assembled and tested in the UAE with several local research and engineering partners.[1]
