UAE Space Agency on track for asteroid belt mission launch in Q1 2028

Abu Dhabi: The Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA) is on track for launch in the first quarter of 2028, representing a long-term strategic investment in the UAE's space sector, developing national talent, strengthening space industries and creating new economic opportunities. Mohsen Al Awadhi, Director of the Space Missions Department at the UAE Space Agency, told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the mission has made significant progress, including the development of the EMA Lander, designed, developed, assembled and tested entirely in the UAE in less than two years. He said the lander, one of the mission's major engineering achievements, has passed the necessary technical and environmental tests to verify its flight readiness. It will separate from the MBR Explorer and approach the surface of asteroid 269 Justitia, the mission's seventh and final destination, to capture detailed images. The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) played a key role in developing the lander, alongside national research institutions and companies. The lander is being prepared for transfer to the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder in the United States for integration with the MBR Explorer and further testing. Al Awadhi said the mission has advanced to the assembly, integration and testing phase following the completion of the spacecraft's Critical Design Review in 2025 and its System Integration Review in September of the same year. Teams are integrating and testing the explorer's subsystems while preparing to integrate the lander. The next stages include technical and environmental testing of the integrated spacecraft, final readiness reviews and transportation to the launch site in Japan. The mission remains on schedule for launch in the first quarter of 2028. Its eight-year journey will cover approximately five billion kilometres, with the MBR Explorer expected to encounter its first asteroid, 10253 Westerwald, in February 2030. Al Awadhi said mission teams presented 10 technical papers at the 2026 International Astronautical Congress, covering development activities, engineering challenges and related research. The mission aims to investigate the origins and evolution of water-rich asteroids, their physical and chemical characteristics, and their mineral composition to improve understanding of the primordial materials that formed the Solar System. Asteroids preserve materials dating back billions of years, offering insights into the Solar System's early development and their potential role in transporting water and organic compounds to rocky planets. The mission will also assess their resources and potential future uses. Exploring seven asteroids during a single mission will enable scientists to compare their characteristics, composition and origins. Al Awadhi highlighted the scientific significance of 269 Justitia, whose spectral characteristics suggest it may have originated in the Kuiper Belt, in the outer Solar System, before migrating to the main asteroid belt. Studying it could provide new evidence about the movement of celestial bodies and the transport of water and organic materials during the Solar System's early history. He described EMA as the most complex mission in the UAE space programme's history, citing its vast travel distance, multiple asteroid targets and challenging operating conditions. Major engineering challenges include significant temperature variations near Venus and beyond Mars, precise navigation for gravity-assist manoeuvres involving Venus, Earth and Mars, and high-speed flybys of small asteroids. Increasing distances from Earth will also complicate communications and power management because of signal delays and reduced solar radiation. The spacecraft therefore incorporates advanced power management and thermal control systems, while the lander can operate autonomously without direct intervention from Earth. Al Awadhi said the launch window, limited to three weeks, requires precise engineering planning, comprehensive testing and risk management in cooperation with national and international partners. The MBR Explorer carries four principal scientific instruments: a high-resolution camera, a thermal infrared camera, a mid-wavelength infrared spectrometer and a thermal infrared spectrometer. Together, they will examine asteroid terrain, surface characteristics, and mineral and chemical composition, while searching for indications of water and organic compounds. The explorer will study 269 Justitia from orbit for approximately seven months before deploying the lander to approach its surface and capture detailed images. Scientific data collected during the mission will be made available to the international research community. National partners include the Technology Innovation Institute, Sharjah Space and Astronomy Hub, Khalifa University, New York University Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, HEX20 and the National Space