US space agency Nasa is expanding opportunities for its international partners to take part in its Moon and Mars exploration efforts, as it prepares to adjust its road map in response to proposed budget cuts by the White House.
The Trump administration put forward a $18.8 billion budget for 2026, down 24 per cent from last year, with much of that to be allocated for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
The budget also cuts or reshapes programmes, including ending the Gateway project, a lunar-orbiting station that Nasa and numerous countries were building parts for.
But the agency said in a statement that components already produced for the station would be repurposed for other missions to the Moon and Mars, in which international partners would be invited to part in through “meaningful collaboration”.
“Nasa’s international partnerships are an important part of the Artemis campaign, which includes returning humans to the Moon to prepare for future human exploration of Mars,” the agency told The National in a statement.
“We have identified, defined and prioritised a number of critical technology gaps in order to enable future lunar and Mars missions.
“The Moon to Mars Architecture outlines opportunities and processes for international partners to propose co-operation that addresses these gaps.”
The agency’s Architecture Definition Document details what technologies and systems are still needed to make long-term exploration sustainable, covering everything from power systems to surface habitats and communication networks.
UAE well-positioned to contribute
Dimitra Atri, an astrophysicist at New York University Abu Dhabi, said this evolving landscape presents newer opportunities for countries like the UAE, which is investing heavily in its space sector.
“Beyond the Gateway airlock, the UAE can contribute significantly through advanced robotics and surface mobility systems, building on the Rashid rover experience,” Dr Atri told The National.
“The UAE also has proven capabilities in satellite technology, which could enhance communications networks on the Moon and Mars.
“Our growing expertise in AI and data analysis, honed through missions like the Hope probe, can support complex operations and scientific discovery across Nasa’s Moon to Mars architecture.”
Why global involvement matters
The budget proposal and redirecting funds to Moon and Mars mission is part of the US government’s efforts to beat China on sending humans to the lunar surface and Mars.
But for the UAE and other emerging space powers, joining Nasa’s renewed efforts could be more than just planting a flag, Dr Atri said.
“Active participation in lunar and Martian exploration is vital for the UAE,” he said.
“Scientifically, it places the country at the forefront of discovery, contributing to humanity's understanding of the universe and our place within it.
“Strategically, it accelerates technological innovation vital for a knowledge-based economy, inspires a new generation towards Stem [Science, technology, engineering and mathematics] fields and cements the UAE’s position as a capable partner in defining the future of international space exploration.”
Nasa’s Architecture Document outlines areas where partners can step in, from helping develop energy systems and lunar construction technologies to providing science payloads and transportation solutions.
The UAE, with its investments in developing lunar rovers, satellite communications and human space flight training, is well positioned to tackle multiple roles.
Dr Atri said that universities also play an equally crucial role in supporting these ambitions.
At NYU Abu Dhabi, for example, researchers are working on lunar simulants, developing instruments for future missions and testing sustainable agriculture solutions for use in Moon or Mars habitats.
“Our contributions include direct participation in projects like the Emirates Lunar Mission, and we’ve developed infrastructure such as a planetary environment chamber to test hardware under simulated Moon and Mars conditions,” Dr Atri said.
“We also leverage our experience with field studies in the UAE’s deserts, which serve as valuable analogue environments for Mars and lunar exploration.”
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
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ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
