A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on December 11 carried into space the first ever Arab-built lunar spacecraft.
Key facts
- It was launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
- The Rashid Rover was built by Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and is being delivered by the HAKUTO-R lander, engineered by Japanese lunar exploration company ispace.
- The mission is due to arrive at Moon around April 2023.
- The Rashid rover will provide ‘novel and highly valued data, images, and insights,’ as well as ‘collect scientific data on matters relating to the origin of the solar system, our planet and life.’
