Rashid Rover 2 completes testing in UAE, heads to U.S. for lunar launch prep

Rashid Rover 2 is prepared to begin its mission to explore the Moon’s rugged terrain after successfully passing a thorough series of environmental and functional tests in the UAE.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) announced that the development of the Emirates Lunar Mission’s Rashid Rover 2 is complete, and the rover has been shipped to the U.S. It will now start its next phase of launch preparations with Firefly Aerospace, ahead of its planned journey to the Moon’s far side in 2026.

“The milestone is a testament to our nation’s advancing capabilities in space science and technology,” Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, Chairman of MBRSC, said. “Each milestone brings us closer to shaping a sustainable and knowledge-driven space future for generations to come.”

Salem Humaid Al Marri, Director General of MBRSC, added, “The completion of Rashid Rover 2 is a decisive step in advancing the UAE’s ambitions for lunar exploration, driven by the pursuit of new science and the desire to push the limits of what is possible.”

In late 2022, the UAE launched its first lunar mission, carrying the original Rashid Rover. The rover was transported on ispace’s Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander, but the landing was unsuccessful, and contact with the lander was lost at that time. The setback was only temporary, however, and the next day, the UAE announced Rashid Rover 2 to continue the country’s space ambitions.

Earlier this year, MBRSC and Texas-based Firefly Aerospace signed an agreement for Firefly’s lunar lander to deliver Rashid Rover 2 to the lunar surface.

Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1—nicknamed Ghost Riders in the Sky—launched on January 15 and achieved the first entirely successful commercial Moon landing on March 2. The lander operated for more than 14 days on the lunar surface, logging 346 hours of daylight and over five hours of lunar night activity. This accomplishment represents the longest commercial operation ever conducted on the Moon.