UAE Asteroid Mission Targets First-Quarter 2028 Launch

The Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt is on track for launch in the first quarter of 2028, with the MBR Explorer set to travel around five billion kilometres to study seven asteroids.

The mission has moved into assembly, integration and testing following its Critical Design Review and System Integration Review. Teams are now integrating spacecraft subsystems and preparing to add a UAE-built lander before further technical and environmental testing and final readiness reviews.

The lander was designed, developed, assembled and tested entirely in the UAE in under two years. It is being prepared for transfer to the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder, where it will be integrated with the MBR Explorer and undergo additional testing.

The spacecraft is expected to encounter its first target, asteroid 10253 Westerwald, in February 2030. Its journey will use gravity-assist manoeuvres involving Venus, Earth and Mars before reaching deeper into the asteroid belt.

The final target will be asteroid 269 Justitia, which the MBR Explorer will study from orbit for around seven months. The lander will then separate from the spacecraft and approach the asteroid’s surface to capture detailed images. Scientists are particularly interested in Justitia because its spectral characteristics suggest it may have formed in the outer Solar System before migrating into the main asteroid belt.

The MBR Explorer will carry four scientific instruments, including a high-resolution camera, thermal infrared camera, mid-wavelength infrared spectrometer and thermal infrared spectrometer. The mission will study the origins and evolution of water-rich asteroids, along with their physical, chemical and mineral characteristics.

Around 150 Emirati professionals are involved in the mission, alongside national institutions including the Technology Innovation Institute, Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, Khalifa University and United Arab Emirates University, as well as international partners including NASA, JAXA and the Italian Space Agency.

The spacecraft is due to launch from Japan during a roughly three-week launch window in 2028, with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries providing launch services aboard an H3 rocket.