His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has announced Rashid 2, the new Emirati lunar mission.
The mission will be carried out by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), and despite the unsuccessful landing of the Rashid Rover on 25 April, the aspirations for the mission remain high.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said, "Emiratis have proved their ability to develop advanced space projects and rapidly create a vibrant national space sector. The UAE built a space sector from scratch within just 10 years. The Rashid Rover mission was driven by the country’s ambitious vision for space exploration."
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, along with His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, met with the team behind the Rashid Rover mission, after which the new mission was announced.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan said, "Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid once said, 'The biggest risk in life is not taking any risk'."
The UAE will continue to launch new space exploration missions, and with the Rashid Rover marked the UAE's first lunar mission and was also the first Emirati and Arab rover to reach the lunar orbit.