UAE shows off lander for 2028 mission to seven asteroids
The United Arab Emirates has unveiled a half-scale model of a lander for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt, which is scheduled to launch in March 2028. The main spacecraft, MBR Explorer, will visit seven asteroids and attempt to land on the reddish asteroid 269 Justitia. The lander is being kept in a vacuum chamber in Abu Dhabi before being sent to Colorado for integration with the probe.
The UAE's asteroid-belt effort follows its Hope Mars orbiter, which has studied Mars since 2021. The new mission is planned to depart Japan in March 2028 and use gravity assists from Venus, Earth, and Mars to reach seven asteroids. Its lander, designed and tested by Abu Dhabi's Technology Innovation Institute, is being stored in a vacuum chamber before shipment to Colorado for attachment to the MBR Explorer.
After flybys of six asteroids, the spacecraft is expected to orbit 269 Justitia by 2036. That roughly 50-kilometer-wide body stands out for its deep red color, which resembles distant Kuiper Belt objects more than nearby main-belt asteroids. Scientists therefore suspect it may have formed far from the Sun and later moved inward.
This mission could strengthen the UAE's role in planetary science and inspire students and researchers across the region. Its data on the unusual asteroid 269 Justitia may inform broader understanding of solar system evolution. International partners and commercial suppliers may gain from integration and launch activities. Public interest in deep-space exploration may grow, though concrete economic or scientific returns will depend on mission success and data sharing.