DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – The United Arab Emirates’ space center announced Wednesday a more ambitious timeline for sending its first rover to the moon.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center said it is partnering with Japan’s ispace company to send a rover to the moon on an unmanned spacecraft by 2022, rather than 2024.
The “Rashid” rover, named after Dubai’s ruling family, will deploy to the moon using ispace’s lunar lander. The company will also provide the mission with wireless communication on the lunar surface.
The UAE’s National newspaper reported that the rover will be launched into space aboard a SpaceX rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.