MBR Explorer
Appearance
MBR is an uncrewed spacecraft announced by the United Arab Emirates Space Agency in May 2023, for a 2028 launch to explore the asteroid belt.[1][2][3]
It is named after Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the vice president and the prime minister of UAE.[4]
The spacecraft will weigh around 2.8 tonnes and will travel at an average speed of 33,000km/h.[5]
The MBR Explorer will visit seven asteroids; 10253 Westerwald, 623 Chimaera, 13294 Rockox, 88055, 23871, 59980, in a 5-billion-kilometre journey,[4][6] and will attempt to land on its final asteroid, 269 Justitia in 2034.[5]
References
- ^ "UAE heading to asteroid belt as it announces new space mission". Al Jazeera. May 30, 2023.
- ^ Kenneth Chang (May 29, 2023). "The United Arab Emirates Is Heading for the Asteroid Belt". The New York Times.
- ^ Sarwat Nasir (May 29, 2023). "MBR Explorer: UAE unveils details of its mission to the main asteroid belt". The National. Abu Dhabi.
- ^ a b "Arabian spacecraft to search asteroid belt for clues to life's origins". ABC News. 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ^ a b "MBR Explorer: All about UAE's new space mission to Asteroid Belt". Gulf News. 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ^ "Ambitious Emirati Mission Seeks to Visit 7 Asteroids and Land on the Big Red One". Gizmodo. 2023-05-10. Retrieved 2023-06-08.