SERAMBINEWS.COM, DUBAI – United Arab Emirates announced plans to send a probe to land on an asteroid between Mars and Jupiter.
This is to gather data on the origin of the universe from the latest project of the oil-rich federation’s ambitious space program.
The project targets a 2028 launch with a landing in 2033.
With a five-year journey, the spacecraft will cover a distance of about 3.6 billion kilometers.
The UAE Space Agency said it would partner with the Laboratory for Atmospheric Science and Physics at the University of Colorado on the project.
Also read: French Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020 Call Astronauts 15 Minutes By Phone
The UAE declined to immediately offer a fee for the effort.
The project comes after Emirates successfully placed the Amal probe, or “Hope,” in orbit around Mars in February 2021.
The car-sized charity cost $200 million to build and launch, not including operating costs on Mars.
Emirates plans to send an unmanned spacecraft to the Moon by 2024.
The country, which is home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, has also set an ambitious goal of establishing a human colony on Mars by 2117.
-Chinese Astronauts Return to Earth, After 90 Days on the Space Station
