UAE to Develop Spacecraft to Study the Asteroid Belt

An agreement has been signed to develop a lander for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA), a 13-year space initiative focused on exploring seven asteroids beyond Mars, culminating in a detailed study of the asteroid Justitia.

The signing was witnessed by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, with the UAE Space Agency partnering with the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) for the mission. Startups 971Space and SADEEM Space Solutions will also contribute, with half of the mission’s activities assigned to private entities.

The Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt, which will begin its spacecraft development phase, is expected to last a total of 13 years. Following a six-year development phase, the mission will embark on a seven-year journey, gathering data and deploying the lander on Justitia