UAE's Rashid Moon rover mission given new launch date

Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre says November 30 launch depends on 'weather status'

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  Model rockets at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. All photos: Sarwat Nasir / The National

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  SpaceX's launch and landing control centre in Cape Canaveral

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  Barry Pendley is a captain of the Banana River Boat Tours in Cape Canaveral, but he has had a 20-year career in space engineering

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  Mr Pendley was born in Cape Canaveral and his lived there for his entire life

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  A SpaceX Falcon 9 Booster recovery ship in Cape Canaveral

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  A wave from crew members on the SpaceX booster recovery ship

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  A Navajo missile model outside Cape Canaveral Space Force base

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  A 'no motorised vessels' sign in Banana River to help protect wildlife in the area

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  Nasa's vehicle assembly building, where rockets are stored and repaired, is visible from the Banana River in Cape Canaveral

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  Cape Canaveral is also known for being a cruise destination, with massive vessels using Port Canaveral as a base

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  A mural takes an artistic spin on an astronaut and a scuba diver in Cocoa Beach, Florida

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  Tourists at Cocoa Beach, south of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

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  Cape Canaveral City and Merritt Island in Florida are also known for their wildlife, which attracts tourists from all over the world

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  Tourists at Cocoa Beach, just south of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

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  Tourists visit the Kennedy Space Centre Visitor Complex on Merritt Island

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  A launch countdown clock at the Kennedy Space Centre Visitor Complex

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  Gary Dahlke has been a volunteer at the Sands Space History Centre since 1992. The museum focuses on the history of launches at Cape Canaveral.

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  Mr Dahlke said he wants to educate as many people as possible in the history of Cape Canaveral

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  Mr Dahlke describes the Space Launch Complex 40 site in Cape Canaveral, from where the UAE's Rashid rover will soon launch

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  Space artefacts on display at the Sands Space History Centre

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  An engine displayed at the Sands Space History Centre

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  SpaceX launch control centre and the Sands Space History Centre are next to each other in Cape Canaveral

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  The Sands Space History Centre

The UAE has pushed back the launch of its Moon mission by two days.

The launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida was scheduled to take place at lunchtime on Monday, but has been moved to Wednesday, November 30, 12:39pm UAE time.

The mission will send the Rashid rover to the lunar surface as the country takes its next step in the space sector.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre announced the move on Twitter on Thursday.

"This date is subject to change depending on the weather status or other conditions," it said.

Rocket launches require the best possible conditions and postponements are common.

The mission was initially given a launch window of November 9 to 15, before that was put back to November 22 and then November 28.

The rover will be sent to the Moon on board the Hakuto-R lander made by Japanese company ispace.

Weighing 10kg, the rover was built by a small team of Emiratis at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai.

The four-wheel vehicle will spend one lunar day on the Moon's surface to study its geology and dust. It is expected to capture thousands of images of its surroundings with high-resolution cameras.

Emirati engineers behind the mission have been in Florida to make final preparations for the launch.

What happens on launch day?

On launch day, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will take the lander into orbit, where it will begin its solo journey to the Moon.

The reusable rocket generates a thrust of more than 771 tonnes at sea level to blast off into space.

Mission milestones for Hakuto-R Mission 1 lunar lander. Photo: ispace

The lander is expected to reach the Moon by the end of April.

It is set to land in the Atlas Crater, on the south-eastern outer edge of the Mare Frigoris, or Sea of Cold.

“Careful consideration of the target site criteria included continuous sun-illumination duration and communication visibility from the Earth,” ispace said.

Busy times on the Moon

Ispace is one of several companies that have set its sights on the Moon.

Nasa's $4.1 billion Artemis 1 mission launched last week from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on one of the most powerful rockets the US agency has built.

The mission was postponed several times.

US company Astrobotic Technology plans to launch its Peregrine lunar lander next year, with payloads from eight countries.